“Get up” said a desperate voice

By Sashini Rodrigo

One-time Iron Man Triathlon champion Julie Moss shares her inspiring story of not giving up, at a corporate event titled, ‘Crawl If You Fall’

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Guests at the event. Pix by Sameera Weerasekera

Looking back at her 23-year-old self and watching her struggle, Ironman veteran Julie Moss is filled with pride. “Looking at the young woman who was struggling and trying so hard – that was a moment in my life that made me who I am.”

But she didn’t always feel this way. In the now iconic race that has inspired people globally, Julie collapsed after losing control of her exhausted limbs in the last 15 yards, and lost the lead she has maintained at the 1982 Iron Man Triathlon in Hawaii. Instead of admitting defeat, she crawled her way past the finish line.

Back then, she could have never guessed that over time this moment would translate into something that would inspire others. In fact, it took her about 25 years to realise this.

On her first ever visit to Sri Lanka, Julie shared her story with an awestruck audience at the ‘Crawl If You Fall’ event for corporates. The event was organised by the Ironman 70.3 core team consisting of Rajan Thananayagam, Yasas Hewage and Julian Bolling. She was joined by a panel of accomplished Lankan women who shared their own defining “crawl moments”– namely Varuni Fernando, Rajitha Jayasuriya, Kasturi Chellarajah and Dr. Asha de Vos.

Julie describes that in her moment of giving up, a sound that felt like a roar came rumbling up through her and into her head that just said “GET UP”. It was a desperate voice, yet it made things crystal clear that this wasn’t about winning. “This was about finishing what you start. In anny way that you can.”

Over the years Julie, refocused that fear. “Fear can become your guiding light. I didn’t want to crawl again or lose control of my body, so I learned how to be a professional athlete,” she tells us. Julie has now completed the Ironman 10 times, and co-authored her memoir ‘Crawl of Fame: Julie Moss and the Fifteen Feet that Created an Ironman Triathlon Legend’ with writer Robert Yehling.

Speaking to the Sunday Times on Thursday, Julie says that motivating others wasn’t something she thought she’d do. But seeing the impact this race had on people made her feel she was in a position to come and talk about her experience. “I can be inspired from my own moment to not give up and to get things done.”

Julie places emphasis on being your truest self through embracing vulnerability. One should celebrate the “crawl moments” as well as the “championship moments”, and ask for support to get over any finishing line.

“Your self-worth is the one thing you should always fight for.”

Everyone has those Ironman moments in their lives. There are moments where it takes everything in you to finish what you start, whether it’s in business or your personal life, or an athletic competition. It’s the idea that you have the ability to go deeper than you thought, she explains.

“That’s what I love about endurance sports – it makes you go deep, you don’t have a choice. You’re not thinking about the finish line or the awards, you’re just trying to finish. I think that’s such a good metaphor for life.”

Even after the 1982 Ironman, there were still several other moments where Julie would experience personal downturns. “I had some years when I struggled, and what I always turned to was Ironman.”Ironman was her way to refocus her energy into something positive.

In 2012, she had the opportunity to become teammates with Kathleen McCartney and the pair re-emerged into the public eye. She believes she is more focused on her training as an athlete now than she ever was.

“It’s really fun being this role model now at 60 years old and still be out there competing,” she tells us. “Having the platform to speak to those women, to have the ability to inspire and encourage more women to get into the sport feels like a privilege.”

As she gears up to take part in the Ironman Triathlon today, she looks forward to another great adventure ahead of her. “But I added one more component, and that was gratitude. Gratitude for the years I’ve had in this sport, and gratitude and love for the people I’ve shared this journey with.”

Catch her today at Galle Face

Catch Julie at the Ironman 70.3 Race Day today, at the Galle Face Green, with the rolling start set to begin at 6.15 a.m. Visitors can also check out the Ironman 70.3 Sports and Lifestyle Expo and Merchandise Store at Shangri-La Hotel.