Kutheni umdlali we-Olimpiki eThathu exhalabile malunga noMbaleki wakhe wokuqala

Umxholo

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UGwen Jorgensen unobuso bomdlalo wokubulala. Kwinkomfa yoonondaba baseRio kwiintsuku nje ezimbalwa ngaphambi kokuba abe ngowaseMelika wokuqala ukuphumelela igolide kwi-triathlon yabasetyhini kwi-Olimpiki yase-2016 yeHlabathi, wabuzwa malunga nomnqweno wakhe wokubaleka umdyarho. UJorgensen uthe, "Ayisiyonto endakhe ndacinga ukuyenza. Kuyacaca ukuba ndiza kuyiqeqeshela. Ngubani owaziyo?!"

Into eyintshatsheli ye-Olimpiki eneminyaka engama-30 engazange iyamkele ngelo xesha kukuba umdyarho weembaleki wawukude engqondweni yakhe. Njengenkwenkwezi yomlingani owayesakuba ngumlingane kwaye ngokubanzi ungoyena mfazi ukhawulezayo kwisekethe yeHlabathi yeTrihlhlon, uJorgensen yimbaleki kuqala, kunye nomzuzwana wesithathu ophumeleleyo. Ukude kangakanani ummi waseWisconsin angabaleka ngumbuzo aza kuwuphendula nge-6 kaNovemba xa efola ekuqaleni kwe-TCS New York Marathon. (Usiya eNYC uyobukela, uvuye, okanye ubaleke umdyarho? Nasi isikhokelo sohambo esisempilweni osidingayo.)

"INew York City Marathon yenye yezona marike zibalaseleyo nezona zinkulu ehlabathini. Kuyandonwabisa kakhulu ukuba nethuba lokukhuphisana nabanye beimbaleki ezigqwesileyo zamazwe aphesheya njengoko sibaleka kwiidolophu ezintlanu," yatsho iimbaleki ezikhethekileyo ze-ASICS . UJorgensen uvumile ukuba uthathe isigqibo sokubaleka umdyarho weembaleki nangaphambi kweRio, kodwa ebesazigcinile kuye xa kubuzwa lo mbuzo eBrazil. UJorgensen wongezelela esithi: "Ukubaleka yeyona nto ndiyithandayo kwiinkalo ezintathu ze-triathlon, kwaye ke ukubaleka umdyarho kwakubonakala kumnandi kum." (Masibone ukuba ucula kwa le ngoma imayile enye kwi-mile 18.)

Nangona umdyarho wembaleki ubukwikhalenda yakhe yomdyarho oyimfihlo kangangexesha elithile, uJorgensen akazange alutshintshe uqeqesho lwakhe olukhokelela eRio. Olona hambo lwakhe lude ngaphambi kweOlimpiki yayiziimayile ezili-12. Ubaleko lwakhe olude olukhokelela kugqatso lwe-NYC: 16. I-akhawunti yerhafu-yajika-i-triathlete ayifuni i-calculator ukuba ibone ukuba yi-10 yeemayile ezintsha kuya kufuneka ifumaneke ngemini yogqatso. Ayilunganga, kodwa wayengenalo ukhetho oluninzi ecinga ukuba uvale nje ixesha lakhe leetrayethloni phakathi ku-Septemba kwi-ITU yeHlabathi yeTriathlon Grand Final Cozumel. Kwaye ukuba uyazibuza, ubeke indawo yesibini, engena ngaphantsi kwemizuzu emibini emva kokuphumelela. Oko kuthetha ukuba wayenenyanga enye yokuzilungiselela. (Sukuzama oku ekhaya, bantwana. Le yinto engaphezulu kobuntu.)

"Ndineeveki ezine kuphela ukuba ndizilungiselele, kuye kwafuneka ndikrelekrele malunga noqeqesho lwam kwaye ndingabi sengozini yokwenzakala," utshilo uJorgensen. I-avareji yexesha loqeqesho lwe-marathon malunga neeveki ze-20. Uqeqesho lwesinye kwisihlanu sexesha elicetyiswayo aluyongozi nje kuphela kodwa alunakwenzeka kubantu abaninzi. UGwen, nangona kunjalo, akangomdlali wakho ophakathi-nangona yena yenza qaphela ukuba uqeqesho olufinyeziweyo luya kumshiya engxakini.

Ndiyazi ukuba ndizakube ndingakulungelanga ukungena ngendlela yoqeqesho olungaqhelekanga, kodwa ndiyazi ukuba phantse zonke iintlanga kunye neembaleki-zombini iipro kunye ne-amateur-ziya kuba nohlobo oluthile lwehiccup kuqeqesho lwabo, ke ndicinga ukuba ndinganxulumana nabo. Iimbaleki ezininzi, utshilo. Icebo lokwenza uxolo ngokungakwazi ukumzisela umdlalo we-A oqhelekileyo: Akakhange azibekele njongo zimbi ngaphandle kokufika kumgca wokugqibela-umahluko omkhulu kumntu othe kunyaka ophelileyo wabamba ugqatso lwe-13 olungazange lubekho oonxantathu.

"Andinalo nolindelo okanye iinjongo zexesha endizama ukulufikelela, utshilo. "Ndizokuphuma ndiyokufumana umdyarho wam wokuqala ngaphandle kokulindela. Le yinto ekwakukudala ndifuna ukuyenza. Ndifuna ukuyithatha ndibhiyozele lo msitho."

Ngelixa uJorgensen engakulungelanga ukwenza naliphi na ixesha lokuqikelela, abanye bonwabile ukumenzela oko. Ijenali yeWall Street kutshanje uye wafunda amaxesha akhe e-triathlon waza waqikelela ukuba unokukwazi ukugqiba iimayile ezingama-26.2 ngaphantsi kweeyure ezi-2 kunye nemizuzu engama-30, kunye nezinye iimbaleki ezingamabhinqa ezibalaseleyo. Kodwa kuphela ukuba unokugcina isantya esimangalisayo semizuzu emi-5 kunye nemizuzwana engama-20 ayibonisileyo kwi-USA Track and Field 10-Mile Championships eMinneapolis-St. Paul malunga nenyanga edlulileyo. Uphume kwindawo yesithathu, ebetha imbaleki ebalekisiweyo uSara Hall, ophume kwindawo yesine.

Alithandabuzeki elokuba olu iya kuba ngumdyarho onzima kaJorgensen, kodwa ungambona kungekudala ehamba ekhosini ngaphandle kokuyeka ukuphuma nokufumana i-DNF. Andihloniphi hayi nje umgama kodwa kunye nekhosi ye-NYC, utshilo. Ukusukela ukubetha ixesha ayisiyiyo inkxalabo, sicebisa ukuba ayeke ukuthatha iiselfie, atyikitye ii-autographs, kwaye onwabele lo mlo woloyiso njengoko esonga unyaka wakhe ophumelele imbasa yegolide yeOlimpiki.

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