2020 Member Spotlight – Troy Adkins
August, 2020
How did you get involved in triathlons?
I’d been a runner for a couple of years just for health and fun. Nothing competitive though. I like to challenge myself to be a better athlete and to try new things. Several years ago, a friend invited me to a TriOut happy hour and after meeting a great group of people and Bryan Frank schooling me on the NTP program, I thought “why not?” I signed up for NTP the following year and the rest is history.
What was your first triathlon?
I did the NTP program in 2017 and our goal race that year was Jamestown. I raced the OLY distance. I’ll take a second here to give a shout out to the Club’s NTP program. It was a great experience! A perfect way to learn and train for your goal race and also to make great friends. I’m still in touch with a number of NTPers from my cohort and have volunteered to mentor other new NTPers every year since.
What is the biggest mistake you’ve made in a triathlon?
For my second race, I was lazy with swim training. Oof. How quickly that technique fades when you don’t use it! Coming into the first turn of the swim my goal changed from beating my last time to just finishing the swim without drowning. There’s a sign in my gym that reads “It never gets easier. You just get better.” In that race, I learned the hard way you only get better with continued focus and practice.
Do you have any memorable races or experience?
This question made me smile as there are many great memories. My own memorable experience was finishing my first triathlon and being amazed that I’d actually done it. Haha. However, the most memorable moments for me have been at other races – run races and triathlons – with friends in the Club. Racing together and cheering each other on across the finish line is, for me, as exhilarating as crossing the finish line myself. So many amazing athletes and friends!
Any fun facts about yourself that you’d like to share?
I mentioned I like to challenge myself so this year one of my sports-related goals is to complete my scuba diving certification. I’m looking forward to finishing that up in the next couple of weeks, actually! I owe a big thanks to Tri Club member Rob Jeter for connecting me to a great dive shop in DC!
