A Lifetime of Medals

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You do enough races you get a lot of medals. Running, triathlon, mountain biking, paddling. Whether you win or just finish. You race outriggers, you practically get a medal just for showing up. So for over a decade I've amassed a fair amount of hardware. From my very first girls-only Danskin tri to the Boston marathon to the Oracle 5k. My first outrigger medal came at a sprint race and it was dated the year before when the race got canceled due to fires. But I loved it all the same. My first win, my first race with Jessica, my first paddling medal. It's not how many medals you have but the memories you attach to particular ones.

But with each move, each downsizing of my life, I consider what to do with these medals. Most are piled high in a shoe box. Some hang from door knobs around my house - whatever I've received last. Sometimes for a week or so after an event I'll look at one fondly and remember the journey that got me there. And then slowly but surely it will fade into the background of my home.

But last weekend, when my brother Justin, his wife Pei and their son Austin came to visit - last weekend was the reason d'etre for having saved and shlepped and stored this admittedly self-serving tribute to my athletic past. I mean, who would honestly ever be interested? But as Pei pulled apart each ribbon asking about this and that - when did I do New York, what time did I have to qualify for Boston, when did I run in Austin, what was my first, what was my fastest, what was my hardest - I was humbled by her appreciation for what I'd done and happy to share whatever answers she was interested in.

But the creme de la creme came when Austin asked if he could put them on and like any budding little Olympic athlete he bowed his head as I piled them around his neck and then thrust his arms out in victory. I mean seriously...the BEST reason ever to have kept these around. I love this little guy!!

Maybe someday some adult-like guy will take an interest, maybe ask the same questions and we'll role play Olympic athletes and of course I'll be Jonny Moseley and maybe he can be Shaun White or in some weird gender role reversal he'll be Julia Mancuso and we'll pile on all these medals and jump around in superstar poses and be dorks and race up and down the street laughing. Seems like as good a reason as any to hang on to my medals a little while longer.

(Me and Jonny - he thinks I'm someone's mom because it was "Ski with Jonny" day and it was all these kids and their moms that I had to Heisman my way through to get a photo op. Sorry if I tripped you up, kid in the Spyder jacket. Move faster next time.)

Comments

Andrea said…
i want a copy of the pic with johnny so i can add to my fridge with your other photo.
3:56 PM
caroline said…
johnny should be so lucky :)
7:31 PM
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