I’ve read the poem below many times over in the past few weeks. It says all that I want to say to myself as I prepare for the Ironman on Sunday. There are many times that I could have failed over the past two years since I decided to do an Ironman despite not being able to swim. So far I haven’t. That’s not to say it won’t happen on Sunday.

I’m not scared of failure. As Katie, my triathlon mentor, has said to me many times over “If it’s a choice between failing and not even starting – I’ll always choose to start a race”. It’s a good attitude to life.

So regardless of whatever happens after, I’ll view lining up at the start on Sunday morning as a success. It’s been a fun 30 weeks training. Thanks for joining me for it. See you on the other side.

Risk by Janet Rand

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk being called naive.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To hope is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.

But risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing.
They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.
Chained by their certitude, they are slaves; they have forfeited their freedom.
Only a person who risks is truely free.