Well, Stephen and Sherry finished on 48 hours – an amazing feat. However, as I am writing this, Vicki Keith is still going. She intends to finish at 11.30am today (Monday), which will make 3 complete days. I have no doubt that, if she decided to, she could continue even longer. Of course that’s awesome, but you expect awesome from Vicki every time!
One thing I have realised swimming, cycling and running alongside her is that whatever it is that she has, that sheer determination and the ability to ignore everything your body is saying to you and just carry on regardless – I don’t have it. I may have more than most people, but Vicki is so far beyond most people, even most endurance athletes that she is utterly exceptional, maybe unique. Certainly, I’ve never met anyone like her. Perhaps she can be compared to someone like Jure Robic, another hero of mine, the cyclist who won the Race Across America (RAAM) 5 times, and who was tragically killed in a training accident last year. Like Jure, Vicki’s power seems to come from nothing measurably physical, neither Keith nor Robic are (or were) exceptional for endurance athletes if you size them up – it is down to psychology. They have something extra. Vicki is even more admirable in many ways because she manages to teach a small part of this to other people, even me (remember, I didn’t think I could really swim before this all started), but most importantly to the kids in her Penguins Can Fly aquatic club, who will of course benefit from this event.
It’s been a privilege being part of this.
Tri Till I Cry 