By Katie Bolling

I thought it was a challenge in itself when I qualified for the Ironman World Championship as an amateur age-grouper and mother of a nine month old in the fall of 2006. Balancing new motherhood and the dedication it took to thoroughly complete an Ironman was a big source of pride for me, let alone qualifying for the race in Kona. I was on cloud nine with my spot for the 2007 Championship and looked forward to the training with absolute enthusiasm, and with high expectations for my race in Kona. However, the road to get me to the starting line of the Ironman World Championship had many more obstacles in store for me than I ever could have imagined…

My training was going quite successfully in the spring of 2007 when I received a phone call that suddenly changed everything; my husband had been involved in a bike accident at a race over Memorial Day weekend and had broken his neck. Thankfully, it seemed as if his road to recovery would be a smooth one and he would only be required to wear a neck brace for 12 weeks with no driving and lifting restrictions to items only less than 5 pounds. I knew it would be a challenging summer being that he would need me as much as our toddler did. But, those challenges are an easy price to pay versus how much more severe the outcome could have been. Then, four weeks after his accident, we discovered he would require spinal fusion surgery as the doctors became quite frightened that his injury was on the cusp of impacting his spinal cord. So, in late June, he underwent spinal fusion and started his difficult recovery process all over again. It would be another 16 weeks in the brace with the same restrictions. All the while, I was still dedicated to starting the Ironman World Championship so I pressed on with my training despite my extra duties as a parent and wife. I prioritized taking care of my family and then doing as much training as possible.

In addition to competing as an age-grouper at the race (and setting high goals for myself as an athlete), I had also set equally high goals as a fundraiser/humanitarian, working to raise awareness and funds for an organization called World Bicycle Relief. I felt compelled to bring awareness to such an amazing organization that clearly any cyclist or triathlete can relate to: the power of bicycles. As an athlete, I simply use my bike for recreational purposes and I felt it was so important to get the word out as to how powerful bicycles can be in communities where they can truly use them as valuable resources for livelihood, economic development, educational opportunities and beyond. World Bicycle Relief’s mission is to provide access to independence and livelihood through The Power of Bicycles. When my husband’s accident happened I made the decision to steer the course with my fundraising efforts, although I knew my time would be strapped. I made the best use of each minute, realized everything wouldn’t be perfect, and sacrificed a bit of my training to ensure I was doing a great job with my World Bicycle Relief efforts. Although my son was under two years of age, I wanted to set the example right from the start that, no matter what, there is always time to be a good neighbor and attempt to improve the conditions and opportunities for those who might not have a platform to have their voices heard.

I seemed to be getting in a routine with managing my time and roles when I was struck, again, with another obstacle: in late July, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Although it was diagnosed very early, I wanted to be at her side so I made the journey to Minnesota to be there for her surgery and first days of treatment. Once again, I felt my priorities shift to my duties as a daughter and I put my training back on hold. Although the visit to Minnesota was just shy of a week, the stress I felt with my mom’s diagnosis certainly filtered to other areas and I questioned if I should make the decision to pull out of Kona due to the continued challenges of the summer. However, one of the first things that my mom told me was that she made sure the doctor realized she would need to be done with her radiation come the first week of October: there was no way she was going to miss the trip to Hawaii. I found new strength in my mom’s determination so, once again, I got back on track with trying to balance my time and roles as a fundraiser, athlete, coach, mom, wife and daughter. Once again, I got into a great groove and, as the calendar flipped to September, I was feeling great about where I was in terms of my preparation for Kona as both an athlete and fundraiser. I entered a half marathon and half Ironman the first two weekends of September and came out number one at both races. I finally felt the momentum for a great day in Kona was with me!

Then, once again, a new challenge…while out for an easy recovery lap at a track workout, I felt an extremely sudden sharp pain in my foot. At first, I hoped for the best thinking it was a cramp. But, when I tried running a few days later and the pain returned with equal severity, my hopes were dashed. I immediately visited a podiatrist and heard the news: I had a stress fracture. With just three weeks till race day, the doctor said, “Well, can’t you just do the swim and bike?” She clearly didn’t understand what it meant to make it to Kona!:) Leaving the doctor’s office that day, my spirit was crushed. Not only was running my best discipline, but it was the part of the race that I loved the most and worked hardest on. I started to ask how this could have happened given the other family events. Weren’t those enough? But, just a few minutes after I started throwing my little pity party, I quickly remembered the people I was doing the race for and my family…my husband had stayed entirely positive throughout his challenge, my mom hardly showed any signs that she was undergoing treatment and only counted herself among the blessed due to the early detection…never acting as she should feel anything but fortunate. And, finally, the people I do the race for: the communities in Zambia who have the hard daily challenges of poverty, AIDS/HIV and the hardships the virus brings to families and entire communities. Who I as to complain about a broken foot?

So, for the 3 weeks leading to Kona, I did my best to rest my foot and take it easy. I wasn’t negative or sad, I continued to only be enthusiastic and positive that I was about to go to the World Championships in Hawaii! October couldn’t come soon enough! Finally, on a Monday afternoon, my husband (with his neck brace off just three days before we left for the trip), my toddler and I boarded a plane to the Big Island. 14 hours later, we were in Kona meeting my parents and sister at a condo along the Pacific. It was all surreal to me. We had made it there!

What followed the next few days is background to me. The celebration of just having made it there in one piece was great enough for me. I celebrated the time with my healthy family and did everything I possibly could to represent World Bicycle Relief in a positive light. Finally, race day arrived. In the wee hours of morning, my husband drove me down to the race area. With tears in my eyes as we said goodbye, I was overcome with emotion on all that we had endured to reach that spot. Thankful for a wonderfully supportive husband and family, I knew that whatever the outcome of the race would be, I had already become a champion. 11 hours and 48 minutes later, I finished the race with a VERY sore foot and tears of joy. The final 200 meters, I was met by my family and it was all a bit of a daze to me. I had become a World Champion and I was ecstatic and proud beyond belief for my entire family. We had ALL made it to the finish…and it was a true celebration of health, family and the wonderful magic that happens with perseverance and positive spirits.

The following night, at the awards celebration in Kona, the MC of the night wanted to mention three racers that wouldn’t be on the podium or hadn’t been previously spotlighted. You can imagine how fulfilling it was for me to hear my name, Katie Bolling, as one of the three chosen people. At a world-class event, with world-class people and racers, I had never felt such a personal sense of satisfaction, purpose and strength…and not just for me, but for my entire family and for those I represent through World Bicycle Relief.

WORLD BICYCLE RELIEF NEWS. World Bicycle Relief just signed a new agreement with the Ministry of Education in Zambia to deliver 50,000 bicycles to children in the most rural regions of Zambia in efforts to help them have a greater chance of completing a basic education, as many students face a very difficult commute time (often between 8 to 12 miles each way) with the majority of the students traveling by foot. Recognizing the particular vulnerability of female children, 70% of the recipients will be girls. This decision is also in response to the World Bank’s recognition that “there is no investment more effective for achieving developmental goals than educating girls.”

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