Courtenay Brown

Everything about my Hawaii Christmas Vacation is now winding down. Today was the last day of Team Jet cycling clinic, where I was a member of the coaching staff. The title phrase of this post, “Aloha means Goodbye”, was printed on the butt of the Team Jet cycling shorts a few years ago… Aloha! I am really going to miss everyone. We rode together 21 times over the past 7 weeks, which, as it turns out, was the perfect amount of time for me to give lots of great advice and get to know everyone without anyone (that I know of) getting tired of me .

We had a lot of fun characters in the clinic (with Chet the Jet at the helm, I’d expect nothing less!). We also had plenty of inspirational people – I’m quite the sucker for life-changing stories, and one of my favourites is that of my “boss”, head bike-clinic coach Charles. He went from being very overweight and unhealthy to a svelte athlete the old-fashioned way. He got on a bike and started riding it, got motivated to change his lifestyle, now he’s one of the top cyclists on the island. No crazy stomach-stapling or bariatric surgery. Pretty amazing. I don’t have a photo of me and Charles, just me and our very own Southern Belle, Ashley (I need to take some lessons from Ashley on how to look good midway through a hard ride! At least I have a sweet lid.)

Being an athlete is a choice, and a privilege. We are so lucky to live this lifestyle. Charles’ story definitely embodies this fact, but another thing that hammered it in for me was the post-race interview with Lindsey Vonn the other day after her impressive gold-medal run in the women’s downhill event at the Olympics. I’m sure I’m taking it out of context and being negative, unfair, hypercritical, etc., but hearing her say “I’ve given up everything for this” was a bit of a turn-off. I know she is incredibly dedicated, but I just don’t see how she can give up “everything”. And, would she be happy with the alternative?