Australian Triathlete — December 2017

54 | AustrAliAn triAthlete

MUSINGS

S i r i

u S

konA 2017

Colorado. This is where my real triathlon

journey began.

The best thing about Yoli was that she

cared much more about who I was as a

human being, then what kind of an athlete

I was. This was one of the most powerful

things I could have ever learned from her.

I learned that it doesn’t matter how fast

you can go, or how many races you can win

• what matters is who you are as a human
  being. It matters how you treat other people.
  With kindness and respect, and love. This
  laid the foundation for me as a human
  being and the athlete I am proud to be.
  When the student is ready, the teacher
  appears. For that, I am maternally grateful.

I

will never forget when I fell in love

with the support you receive in

triathlon. I came out to Colorado to

spend some time with my mum, who

lives in Vail. I went out for a cross-country

ski, of course trying to get stronger and

fitter for the triathlon season.

As I was cross country skiing along the

Vail golf course, there was a group of ladies

laughing, chatting and having a team picture

taken. I looked over to see what was going

on, my skis crossed, and I fell to the

ground and spread-eagled into the snow.

This wonderful Latin American woman

came running over to see if I was OK. Aside

from being morbidly embarrassed, I was

fine. She said: “Hi, my name is Yoli. What’s

yours?” “My name is Siri,” I replied. “I’m a

triathlete,” (how embarrassing). “Wow, I

am a triathlon coach. I live in Boulder,” she

said. I could not believe the synchronicity

of this moment. First, I was a triathlete, and

I needed a coach. Secondly, I had been

dreaming of one day living in Boulder,

Colorado - to fully pursue a career in

the sport.

Yoli said that she would be happy to

coach me if I moved out to Colorado. So,

just like everything else I do in my life,

I pounced on the opportunity and said yes!

A week later I was driving my car from

Worcester, Massachusetts to Boulder,

© Korupt Vision

text by sIrI lIndley | photogrAphy by Korupt vIsIon