I hope this post finds you well and enjoying the cooler weather. Over the past few days, I have both experienced drama and learned of its ever-present nature in the pentathlon world. I am not involved in any of it, so feel free to laugh at the humor and folly of it all.
My dramatic experiences always seem to revolve around airplanes. I don't know, perhaps it has something to do with the fact that my "airline pilot's daughter" status means that I am considered less important to the company than the random dog in the crate. Point being, I am only allowed to fly the friendly skies when there are available seats - and sometimes even when there are available seats I don't get to fly. It's very complicated. Someone once explained it to me and said that the stars have to line up, everyone on the airplane has to have complementary "auras," and unless there is a miss-connect, I'm not getting on the plane.
I've spent the past few weeks traveling and have come to despise the Denver Airport. Before you assume I am flippantly making that statement, you should know that I have come to know the Denver airport on a personal level. I know the name of several of the desk agents, I know John, who works at the customer service desk, I know the floors (cause I've slept on them) and I know the entire B terminal. The Denver Airport is crowded and the flights are always overbooked. The trick, usually, is simply to fly ANYWHERE, and then once you get out of the crowds, find another flight to get to your destination. In Denver, getting out isn't likely - no matter where you're trying to go. Oh what I'd give to have a real ticket, with a guaranteed seat, in my hands!
Now let's get to the real drama. The National Governing Body - USA Pentathlon has had a rough past. For several years there simply wasn't a governing body, athletes were left to fend for themselves, and the USOC (United States Olympic Committee) did not take the sport seriously. A committee and governing body has been formed, but in general, it is ineffective, unorganized, and poorly managed. No one gets along and it seems that everyone is tangled up in a power struggle. With such a small, unknown sport, one would think it would be extra important to be organized and focusing on the recruitment of athletes and sponsors - not USA Pentathlon!
The goal of USA Pentathlon is simply to medal in the Olympics - something that hasn't been done since the 60s. Instead to focusing on base-level concepts like youth programs, recruitment, and media attention, all of which would ultimately lead to producing more and better athletes, and a stronger base for the sport in general. Instead, USA Pentathlon chooses only to focus on the four athletes on the U.S. team and disregard all other programs. Anyone who promotes change within the organization is ostracized and the organization has little respect amongst its Olympic peers.
So basically, there's lots of little cat-fights and skirmishes popping up all over Colorado Springs, and I have the advantage of witnessing everything "go down" without actually getting my hands dirty. So if you're thinking about getting into administrative work, steer clear of USA Pentathlon.
Current Swim Time: 3:00
Current Run Time: 7:00
Current Aches and Pains: left ankle
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