It's Official

There's a reason for me not blogging for over a month. I've been a touch busy.

For the last decade I have just about ruined every opportunity I've had in life in the hope that I might get my act together and qualify for a professional triathlon license. When I'm in those meetings with groups of new people where you have to introduce yourself and say a little bit about yourself I say "My name is Chris George and I have an addiction." Much like you must at Alcoholics Anonymous. I continue "It has lost me friends, threatened family relationships, seen me end up unemployed too often and has left me close to bankruptcy. I am addicted to triathlon." At which point there is usually a sigh of relief followed by the "Glad there's a funny person in the group rather than a drug addict!" laugh echo throughout the meeting room.

It's true though. I have lost friends. I barely graduated University. I have been $26,000 in debt without a security on that debt, or available to pay it. The sad part was how poorly I was going about my triathlon training and racing.

A couple of years ago I promised my brother that if I didn't have a professional license by the time I turned 30, I would give up.

This year I turned 29 and time was about to run out. I had been pushed around a bit unfairly at work the year before and took it poorly (in my defence, anyone 3 weeks out from a World Championships have a promise broken by their boss and friend to be dumped into a high stress role, would have too). It resulted in a conversation where, despite me saying that I was just reacting emotionally as anyone in my situation would, I was told "You need to work out whether you are a triathlete or a banker." I appreciated working for these people and wanted nothing more than to make them successful in their endeavours, ahead of my own. I felt like the horse in Animal Farm.

NEK MINIT...

My professional license, my name on an Elite ITU startlist and the Visa I needed to travel to China to race.

I have actually been sitting on this for a while, but I had been so paranoid that someone would come along and say there had been a mistake and cancel my license. It wasn't quite "next minute" as the previous blogs can indicate.

So it's official. I have my pro license, achieved my dream and I don't need to quit the sport. I have just returned from competing in Meizhou, China and Hong Kong, staying in Hong Kong in between. There is a lot to write about: the race venue and trip to Meizhou, the race itself, the two week stay in Hong Kong and again the race itself which will be completed over the next week or fortnight.

I'm also trying to find out if I'm the first type 1 diabetic to have done this. As far as I'm aware no one has...