Dear Tri Columbia,

You are AMAZING.

Disney World may be the happiest place on earth, but you make peoples dreams come true!

1991, a junior in high school, was the first time I happened to come across the coverage of the Hawaii Ironman on television.  I watched in awe and cried through most of it listening to the stories and seeing the strength of these athletes.

Then and there I decided I was going to do this!

So sure was I that I put it in stone in my senior year high school yearbook in 1992.

(ALWAYS being thin is no longer a blip on the priority screen)

I could run and swim and bike.  

But there was one big problem.

FEAR.

Of OPEN water.

 (you can read about that here)

http://brylfamily5.blogspot.com/2011/07/fear.html

Not an unusual fear for many a new triathlete but a raw feeling none the less.

I went to college, ran cross country and track, fell in love with swimming since every Thursday we had to swim a mile.  Never really got into biking but was not opposed to it.

Throughout my 20's the thoughts of triathlon continued to creep into my brain but I would quickly shelve them because of FEAR.

In my early 30's I got married and had three children once every 2 years.

Gained weight, lost weight, gained weight, lost weight, gained weight, and just kept gaining.

All three of my children were gifts, showering me with new purpose and new perspective.

My third child, my daughter Bridgie came with something extra.

A Chromosome.

Bridgie was born with Down syndrome or Trisomy 21.  

There had been no indication of this during pregnancy but this did not matter.

I took one look at her as they placed her near my head as I lay on the operating table (c-section) and I saw a beautiful baby girl with sparkly blue eyes who had Down syndrome.

As quickly as they brought her to me they whisked her away to attend to her.

I was changed in that instant.

My mind raced a mile a minute and my only real concern was how will this impact Erin and Eoin's lives.

Our physical care was great but our concern over the extra 4 inches of skin at the back of her neck (nuchal fold) was met with blank stares and a declaration that we were 'crazy' she was perfectly healthy.

And so the journey began.

A journey of a single step that required us to STAND up against FEAR and advocate for our precious daughter with the beautiful speckled eyes.  The speckles in the iris are called Brushfield spots and are a marker for Ds.

Little Bridgie had no heart or intestinal issues that can be common for newborns with Ds.  In fact, it was the day of her heart ultrasound that I knew we were in for a great ride.

As the ultrasound tech tried to place her wand on Bridgie's heart, my 10 day old baby girl wrapped her tiny foot around the cord as if to say 'get that cold thing away from me'.

In the first 6 months of her life Bridgie taught me more about perspective than any one or anything thus far.  How wrong I had been about so many things, myself, and the purpose of life.

I maintained my highest weight for these first 6 months despite my regular exercise routine.  I saw my Dr. and started a new plan of healthy eating by reading 'Eat to Live' by Dr. Joel Fuhrman.  This was the first time I paid attention to the nutrition behind what I ate.  

Simultaneously, a dear friend brought  to my attention a very short triathlon called Rec Deeds for Special Needs.  All proceeds would go to support the Special Needs recreation programs in Anne Arundel County. 

Those old dreams crept back in, only to be quickly shelved under the file FEAR.  

However, the dreams began to kick into overdrive.  I had a different world view and new purpose now.  

Why can't I swim in open water?

I signed up and so did my friend.

We began training for the .25 mile swim, 12 mile bike, and 3.1 mile run.  

About mid way through, I realized that I had been having gall bladder attacks for months.

3 months before the triathlon date I had my gall bladder out.  10 days later I was back in the water, moving ever so slowly.  3 weeks later I had resumed 'normal' training.

Now to face the demon.

My dear Rachel picked me up and drove me to Sandy Point state park and we waded ever so slowly into the water.  She dove right in, I tried a little breast stroke with my head out of the water.  We 'swam' parallel to shore with her on the outside and me closest to shore. So long as I could be next to her I was fine.

I actually kind of enjoyed it but was exhausted for the rest of the day.

The second time we went we wore wet suits and it was after a storm so the water was choppy a lot like Saturday.

Somehow I convinced myself to get in.  And I 'swam' breaststroke with my head above water again.

I faced my fear and completed my first Triathlon in October 2010.

 (you can read about that here)

http://brylfamily5.blogspot.com/2011/07/fear.htm

Ft. Smallwood Park, Pasadena, MD

From there it was on to bigger and better things.

Iron Girl 2011

Skipjack 2011

Iron Girl 2012

(my dear friend joined ASA this year)

And of course the coup de gras.  A death blow to fear.

Chesapeake Man Ultra 2012

So, this has been my journey.  Of conquering fear and embracing life.

There is no finish line.

But I'll take this one any day!

Coincidentally, Today marks the beginning of Down syndrome awareness month.

31 days of advocacy, education, and acceptance.

Yesterdays brunch brought this journey full circle.  My husband sat there with tears in his eyes, listening to the multitude of stories of courage, feeling the energy in the room, and witnessing the abundant happiness.  This was the first of over 13 triathlons he has attended.  Ever supportive, I don't think he truly 'understood' until yesterday.  Even commenting, maybe it's my turn to do a triathlon.  

Tri Columbia YOU are a class ACT.  I chose to finish this journey with you.  From the announcer, to the venue, to the volunteers, to the unidentifiable feeling at all of your races that if you falter someone will be there to pick you up.

An emotional weekend for sure, topped by the brilliant words spoken at the brunch.

You guys just GET IT!

For as long as I live I will hear the voice of Jeff saying 'What a strong Ultra finish by Cynthia Bryl of Crofton, MD"!