Doing it for the home team

 Carmena had always been a force to be reckoned with. In the coastal city of Viña del Mar, Chile, she had spent years training for endurance events, her body carved by the ocean winds and mountain trails. When she qualified for the Patagonia Elite Triathlon, one of the most prestigious races in South America, it felt like destiny.


But somewhere along the way, her confidence faltered. The pressure of expectations weighed on her. She started questioning if she truly belonged among the elite. Instead of pushing through, she numbed the doubt with distractions like late nights out with friends, endless scrolling through social media, indulging in shallow entertainment instead of grueling training sessions. At first, it felt like freedom. No exhausting swims, no aching muscles, just laughter, music, and temporary escapes.


Weeks passed. Then months. The race loomed closer, and guilt gnawed at her, whispering reminders of what she was letting slip away. Yet, she shrugged it off. What if I fail anyway? she thought. Better to enjoy life than to set myself up for disappointment.

Then, one evening, as she walked along the shore, she saw a group of local children racing barefoot along the sand. Their laughter was wild and free, their strides uninhibited by fear of failure. One little girl, barely eight, sprinted with everything she had, her face flushed with determination.


Something inside Carmena cracked open. She realized she had been running not toward something, but away. Away from her potential. Away from the part of her that once believed in greatness.

That night, she made a choice.

She cut out the noise, silenced the doubt, and returned to the grind. Every sunrise was hers again, every swim, every cycle, every sprint. The guilt no longer mattered, because she was doing the work.


Race day arrived. As Carmena stood at the starting line, the Chilean flag waving high above the roaring crowd, she felt something she hadn't in months, her certainty. Not in winning, but in the truth that she had shown up for herself.

When the gun fired, she plunged into the icy waters, no longer running from anything. She had reclaimed her wonder.


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