Triathlons & Triumphs: Hannah's Journey to 70.3 New Zealand

My name is Hannah and I sort of love triathlons. If you ask my family or close friends, I might be obsessed with them. It's all relative, right?

THE BACKGROUND

I have always been active but fell in love with the sport back in the summer of 2016 after my brother and I signed up for a race together. (It's worth noting he is now a professional and infinitely more talented than myself in this area but that's another story.) Less than a year later, I somehow found myself Vice President of my university's Triathlon Club. I was all in!

Life, however, had other plans. I began experiencing a variety of mysterious symptoms the following summer, including fatigue. I competed in a sprint triathlon - something that should have been easy - a few weeks after returning to my final year of school. I woke up the next day completely and utterly exhausted, a feeling that has stayed with me ever since with varying severity. It would be more than four years until I managed to race again.

I'll skip ahead to the present day but suffice to say the years in between were filled with endless doctor's appointments, tests, uncertainty and so many tears...and you know what? All of that still comes and goes. The difference is, even with diagnoses of Narcolepsy and POTS as well as what appears to be a penchant for picking up Lyme Disease (dark humor is a legitimate coping mechanism, people!) I can now experience joy and hope while navigating those ups and downs. The purpose of this GoFundMe is best summarized by an Instagram post I made last fall after racing in my first ever half-Ironman.

THE WHY

"It's hard to know where to start when talking about what this weekend means to me. Three years ago, I was on disability, unable to work and completely wiped out by half-mile walks. Two years ago, I completed a sprint triathlon - my first in four years - at a snail's pace. One year ago, I could only exercise for a few months at a time before my body broke down. And one month ago, I completed my longest and toughest race yet, placing in my age group and earning a spot to the 2024 World Championships. I had so much anxiety about my first 70.3, and now I can't wait for the next one! How does one even begin to process so much change?

At each stage of my health journey, I worried I hit my limit. Wilmington showed me I'm capable of more than I ever thought possible, and it helped me to fully realize the crazy amount of physical and emotional work I put into this training cycle and race. A friend told me "I hope you're damn proud" and you know what? I am really damn proud of myself! And acknowledging that is an accomplishment in and of itself. But I'm also really damn thankful (gotta stick with the theme) for the best coach ever, who has supported me through flares, killer workouts and self-doubt. I couldn't have done it without my amazing sister-in-law, Summer, and I'm so excited to see what the future has in store!"

Each age group receives a set number of slots for worlds, relative to the number of participants in said age group. Those who qualify must accept their slot at the qualifying race and register on the spot; this is exactly what I did! Much to my parents' shock, I might add. I knew the race was in New Zealand and I knew the cost would be exorbitant but I thought "I have to do it. I'll figure it out later."

And there you have it. Here I am, attempting to figure it out. I created this GoFundMe with encouragement (or pressure, depending on how you look at it) from several friends who wished to support my adventures. I never thought this would be possible and while the journey remains far from easy, I'm beyond grateful for the progress made and for the support of the most incredible friends and family members one could ask for.

THE EXPENSES

I expect costs for this trip to total around $5,300. This includes but isn't limited to:

I hope to raise the remaining funds through small business sponsorships. My current sponsors are:

I have committed to donating 10% of all proceeds to the Autoimmune Association, a nonprofit dedicated to advocacy, awareness, education and research.

THE WHEN

I race in Taupō, New Zealand on December 14, 2024.

There are so many worthy causes to give to, most of which I would argue are far more worthy of attention than my own. The simple act of reading this story is a win for me because it means one more person has an increased awareness of chronic illness and, more specifically, invisible illness. This far outweighs any monetary gain. But if you choose to support this venture, please know you're helping me to achieve what once seemed impossible. My goal is to inspire others to hold on to hope and embrace joy, no matter how bad it gets.

Thank you so much for your support, in whatever capacity it is given. I appreciate each and every one of you!

Care to follow along more closely? Follow me on Instagram at @tri_try_again_ for very sporadic and occasionally entertaining coverage!