By Rebecca Roozen
Feb. 9, 2007 -- Michellie Jones and I both like tea, and neither of us drinks coffee. We're both involved-in one way or another-with triathlon. Supposedly, we're both hard to shop for, too. But beyond those commonalities, it's a crapshoot. She loves pink. I prefer red. She won a silver medal at the Olympics. I got the leadership award on my varsity basketball team. Her svelte, giraffe-like limbs and fair features are quite opposite my 5'3" frame and "what nationality are you?" appearance. She wears a gold Ironman World Championship ring she won in Kona. I wear a silver sterling and lapis one I bought in Chile. You get the idea.
But when Michellie stood in front of us last night, telling her triathlon story, she didn't seem that different than the rest of us. She's personable. A little goofy. And eager to let people know she's just a girl who's worked her ass off and had good things come because of it.
"Why didn't you just run a little faster?!" Huddle chimed in when the NBC 2000 Sydney Olympic Games piece on Australia's hometown hero finished. Michellie, across the room from Huddle, slyly scratched her nose with her middle finger intentionally higher than the others. We had all just watched her emotional second-place finish in one hell of a foot race. "I did the best I could," she said. "If you walk away saying that you did the best you could, how could you ask for more?" Good question.
She talked about how, up until just a few years ago, she preached she'd never do Ironman. "My whole career was short, short, short. Fast, fast, fast. I thought people were nuts to do Ironman." But then she did. And after figuring out a few nutrition problems, she was good. Really good.
Now, Michellie is the master of all distances: sprint, Olympic, half-IMs and the big dance in Kona. I've completed a sprint, an Olympic and a half-IM. She hasn't quite decided whether or not she'll be putting in an early-season Ironman in '07, but she'll definitely be in Kona to defend her title. I'm not sure what races I'll chalk up after my first marathon this spring, but I'll definitely (fingers are crossed that I'm going this year) be in Kona cheering for Michellie.
So, we're a little different. But, like Michellie said, "If you walk away saying that you did the best you could, how could you ask for more?" She's an inspiration to every girl (and guy) who works her ass off. Good things will come.