The 53rd welcomes a canadian olympian: Simon Whitfield

It is September 2000 and the Australians are hosting the Summer Olympics for the second time since 1956. Showcasing 28 sports, this Olympics included the sport of triathlon for the first time. The sport originated in France in the 1920s but really rose to prominence in the late 70s following the beginning of the Hawaii Ironman. Three separate events - the Waikiki Rough Water Swim (2.4 miles), the Oahu Bike Race (112 miles) and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles) - were combined in 1978 to form the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon. Of the 15 competitors who started the race that day, only 12 of them crossed the finish line. A typical Ironman race these days features over 2,000 competitors.

In 1982, ABC's Wide World of Sports featured the IRONMAN World Championship for the first time and focused on Julie Moss, a college student competing to gather research for her exercise physiology thesis. Heading towards the finish line on Ali I Drive in first place, Julie collapsed yards from the finish line. Paradoxically, instead of scaring people away from the sport, the broadcast of these moments of intense suffering inspired thousands to embark on the same challenge. If you haven't seen the clip, check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVKqFAPdjIA

Back to September 17 2000 to my moment of triathlon inspiration. It was a beautiful day and I happened to catch the tail end of the Olympic distance triathlon just in time to witness Canada's Simon Whitfield win the race in a spectacular come-from-behind finish. Watching this video is still thrilling, even after 17 years: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kDKw1WOpRs. I've been competing in triathlons ever since ….

Last Monday, the 53rd at Raymond James was delighted to be able to welcome Simon Whitfield into our offices as we kicked off Life Well Lived 2.0. Father, Olympian, business man and life philosopher, Simon shared his perspective on a variety of topics with a rapt audience. Two anecdotes in particular stand out, one racing related and the other psychological.

The Poetry of Sport

Simon returned to the medal podium in 2nd place in the 2008 Olympics while Jan Frodeno from Germany won gold. After winning the silver in Beijing, Whitfield shared the story about how he was struggling with having finished second when he went to hug his father in the stands.

"Bloody brilliant! You just learned the poetry of sport!" Whitfield's father said to him. "Eight years ago you ran down a German (to win gold in Sydney) who went on to inspire another German who eight years later got you back." What a great story…

The Importance of A Daily Ritual

The day after the 2012 London Olympics, Simon retired from triathlon and initially was delighted that he no longer had to rise at 6:30 every single morning and train. Over time, though, he realized he missed the specific benefits a daily ritual brought to the start of his day. Today, while you are more likely to find him rising early to meditate or acknowledging something he is grateful for rather than hopping on his bike for a training ride, Simon readily acknowledges the benefits of a structured morning ritual.

Simon will be back in town in late July for the Toronto Triathlon Festival, an event Raymond James is sponsoring: http://www.torontotriathlonfestival.com/