Transcript
Rich: Welcome to episode 566 of the Grit to Greatness Endurance Podcast, where your hosts... Coaches Rich Soares and Lauren Brown, and we are on a mission to help endurance athletes train smarter.
Rich: race stronger and build the grit it takes to achieve greatness. And today we have all of that coming at you. We are joined by Robina Waterman, a competitive triathlete and stroke survivor.
Rich: who returned to the world. Triathlon Championship. and earned two fifth place finishes in 48 hours. She's raced draft legal sprint. She's done the aqua bike. She was.
Rich: the top USA finisher, US finisher in her field. The second result surprised her and moved her to tears. we're gonna hear what all of that meant. Again, and how faith and gratitude shaped both experiences. Robina, thank you for joining us.
Rich: to tell the story behind That comeback and... how you rebuilt confidence. drawing on faith. and finding joy in both the chance to race and the performance itself.
Rich: We are really excited to be here with you. Welcome.
Robina Waterman: Thanks. Thanks. I'm grateful to be here.
Lauren Brown: i am I'm so... thankful that you're on the podcast Robina and I know this is going to be such a Wonderful conversation for for... Rich, myself, and for our listeners. so Thank you.
Lauren Brown: And.
Robina Waterman: Thanks for inviting me.
Lauren Brown: Of course. Before we get into the conversation and all of the... things that have happened and the amazing accomplishment accomplishments that you've been able to have. We're going to give a couple of...
Lauren Brown: Athlete shout outs for our G2G athletes who are racing. so This weekend, good luck to Hunter Stokes. He will be racing Ironman Florida on Saturday the 7th.
Lauren Brown: And then also good luck to Kim Eldridge. She'll be racing the BAA half marathon on Sunday. November 8th We also...
Lauren Brown: Want to share that if you are. new to Grit to Greatness. You do not need to be coached to be a part of this community. So if you are an athlete who is looking for support, inspiration, which again, you're going to absolutely get that from the conversation we are having today with Robina. If you're looking for a group of athletes who truly understand what it takes to balance life, work, and endurance sport. we would Love to meet you.
Lauren Brown: Come hear directly from our athletes and see what makes G2G different. You can find your grit and explore the G2G community at grit to greatness, endurance. dot com.
Rich: I'm going to add one more addendum to the Hunter Stokes shout out, and I also want to give a shout out to Ken and Tyra Stokes. Those are Hunter's parents.
Rich: Ken and I actually raced Ironman together back in the day. So this is his son. now kind of taking the helm and taking the next next charge with Iron Man. so congratulations congratulations to the entire s Stokes family. It's really exciting. for them this weekend.
Rich: All right, Robina, listen, this is something I have been really looking forward to. You know, we have, we have history. Right.
Robina Waterman: mm -hmm
Rich: We met back in. the summer of 2025.
Robina Waterman: Mm hmm.
Rich: at the Tridot Pool School down at the United States Air Force Academy. You and I. I, well. but I wasn't exactly sure if we hit it off at first.
Robina Waterman: who
Rich: It took a little bit of convincing. I know. But we sure seem to click together. And I really enjoyed. the fact that we got a chance to meet each other. And then that kind of parlayed into us actually working together throughout the rest of the year.
Robina Waterman: Mm hmm.
Rich: Take our... Take our listener, like, you know, so you. You know you brought more than 20 years of training and racing experience before we even met. You bring more experience to this relationship than I do.
Robina Waterman: Hmph.
Rich: So including national and world championship experience. Take our listeners through your triathlon career. And what place did triathlon hold in your life?
Rich: and And how would you have described yourself as an athlete? Or how would you describe yourself as an athlete?
Robina Waterman: Thanks, Richie, and I have great memories of... when we met and You're just one of the most beautiful human beings. And I'm really grateful for the time that we've worked together under your coaching. So just want to say that.
Robina Waterman: I actually have been a triathlete for 40 years, and so I did my first triathlon in 1985. and I don't have a count, but so I've done more than 200 or... so triathlons more than 100 bike races and so I'm really grateful. Triathlon has been a really big part of my life.
Robina Waterman: My work has always been. the center of my identity because my work is an expression of my faith. And I have always felt that God's called me to. work in a way that supports people in poverty and people who experience discrimination.
Robina Waterman: to just support them to be their best, to not be invisible, to have the strengths and capacities that they're capable of. but That means that, you know, I've had demanding intense roles in doing that kind of work and triathlon has been a thread that's been woven.
Robina Waterman: throughout my entire work life and since early on I wrote essays about this is that Triathlon helped me. Be my best self. in my work because it gave me time away and I was just focusing on my breathing, the pain in my legs or the goal in front of me.
Robina Waterman: So triathlon has been my mental health. and huge, huge ways and what I can say is that The physical strength I've experienced being a triathlete has given me emotional and spiritual strength.
Robina Waterman: that is one of the greatest gifts and joys in my life. And I guess the other thing to say that I'm grateful for is. that across time and in recent years i understand that because of all the training and the focus on racing.
Robina Waterman: that i now am considered an elite amateur. triathlete and And I'm grateful for the dedication I've been able to give to the sport and be able to race at that level.
Rich: could Could you just share a couple of like highlights? from your career. before this most recent world championship talk about like some of the bigger events that you have competed in.
Robina Waterman: Yeah, I mean. i've actually you know i started doing sprint and then worked my way up to iron man and then worked my way back down after a knee replacement. and So I would say one of the highlights was.
Robina Waterman: my first ironman which was the world championships in nice actually that was I don't know, 25 years ago or something. and i was a runner then so you know i was sort of
Robina Waterman: with the masses and the swim and just kind of found my way through it and was did okay on the bike and then just pulled it all out. in the run and earned fourth place and and my first Ironman and it was a beautiful experience and I was part of Team USA. and Really appreciate the community and the support for that.
Robina Waterman: And. you know And other than that, I just... i love racing and i love the community like i love grit to greatness and being part of this community i love being a part of team usa in that community and so i have too many races i guess to But that's a highlight is, you know, my first time at Worlds and then.
Robina Waterman: every time since going to worlds is are really memorable. experience
Lauren Brown: I feel like we could...
Rich: Thank you.
Lauren Brown: have an entire podcast just talking about the races that you've done. and your experiences i did not realize that you have been doing triathlon since 1985.
Lauren Brown: Which is like... It's... So amazing. And I It just. makes your story, your story is. amazing no matter what, but I'm like, holy smokes, Robina, that is...
Lauren Brown: Quite an impressive resume that you have.
Robina Waterman: Yeah, thanks.
Rich: She's been there from since the beginning.
Robina Waterman: yeah Yeah, actually, yeah, when I think the world championship in Nice that I went to was the very first or a second. World Triathlon Union organization. world championship so but as you all can
Lauren Brown: I mean I was Oh no, I was gonna say, I was three when you started doing Triathlon.
Lauren Brown: Anyway. Sorry, so...
Robina Waterman: this
Lauren Brown: to to the extent that you're comfortable. sharing, can you take us through the setback that you had. your recovery journey. and What changed most about how you saw yourself and your future?
Lauren Brown: overall and in the sport.
Robina Waterman: Yeah, I mean... You know, I guess to start, it... You know, my it was scary, right? And the medical records, I was in the ICU for nine days.
Robina Waterman: Coach Reg came and visited me and I could... barely walk around the ward. The medical records say that During those days, I could have died or experienced permanent neurological damage. and They didn't have a diagnosis.
Robina Waterman: but you know people who were treating me were saying I might never be able to exert myself again without the fear of death. And so it was a pretty intense time. And then, of course, I had constant headache and was exhausted. and But eventually...
Robina Waterman: At some point along, they came up with the diagnosis of... perimencephalactic subarachnoid hemorrhage. and So, and then someone I'm grateful to say. did the research and told me that With that diagnosis,
Robina Waterman: there's a 79 in 1 billion chance that it will ever happen again. and the root cause is what they call vascular malformation.
Robina Waterman: And the research says that it's a congenital defect. So something, I just had a weak vein in my brain. Since I was born and it just never became stronger but you know, as an expression, I think of the power of God, that when they went in and looked at my brain five, six, seven days in.
Robina Waterman: my veins had all completely healed and found viable pathways for blood to get to my brain. and the blood kind of worked itself out over time which was painful and difficult and but But I think the diagnosis was really relevant.
Robina Waterman: But the other thing.
Lauren Brown: Mm -hmm.
Robina Waterman: as I thought about, you know, think about the question There isn't a lot of research on on this kind of condition. and And in my research, I discovered a man who's a... yeah ER doc who had the same exact kind of experience that I had for immense phylactic subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Robina Waterman: and he's a competitive cyclist. who does long distance gravel racing. So I kind of stalked him. and figured out a way to track him down and,
Robina Waterman: And he and I eventually... talked on the phone.
Robina Waterman: So... I... I talk to him regularly. We texted each other regularly. His happened 13 years ago.
Lauren Brown: you
Robina Waterman: and so So that was really huge for me. and i you know i'm really deeply grateful for that because he was able to share with me what his journey back was. and He started racing a year after his experience.
Robina Waterman: And was able to tell me, oh, my average heart rate was this. And I did these, you know, five -hour races. and And I've been fine. so So I would say, you know, I had an outpouring of support from friends and family that was huge. The immigrant families I worked with came and visited me and cared for me.
Robina Waterman: But. This man who I call Dr. Mike. He was probably the most significant relationship because he was there for me through every up and down and could put it in perspective for me.
Robina Waterman: but maybe most important is He helped me not feel afraid. he helped me not feel afraid he's like 13 years and i'm training and i'm racing hard and And you do not need to worry that it will ever happen again.
Robina Waterman: So.
Lauren Brown: Can I just ask one more question to like backtrack a little bit more from my initial question?
Robina Waterman: Sure.
Lauren Brown: If you can just share a little bit about like. What? actually happened when you were having your stroke and What made you like know to go seek help? If there's anything our listeners should also kind of.
Lauren Brown: have in their mind.
Robina Waterman: Mm hmm. Yeah. No I think that's a great question. for that exact reason, but I was. doing a training ride. I think a tri -dot, you know, threshold and hold ride or something up a really intense steep hill in Boulder. and I just had the most excruciating headache from outta nowhere.
Robina Waterman: just absolutely out of nowhere and I was near the top and I just pulled over. My husband was with me, fortunately, and he was behind me. and And for a few milliseconds, I thought, oh, if I just lie down, I'll i'll be able to keep going. But the headache was just really, really intense. and so But I thought maybe I had food poisoning. And so we just got on our bikes and rode home, which was mostly downhill.
Robina Waterman: and you know I took a you know a couple of Tylenol. And my headache didn't go away, so I said to my husband, we need to call Ask a Nurse because it was the weekend. And and we called Ask a Nurse and described to my symptoms, and she immediately connected us to a neurologist.
Robina Waterman: The neurologist got on the phone with my husband and said, it sounds like you have blood in your brain. you need to go absolutely immediately to the ER. And so we did.
Robina Waterman: And when we got to the yeah ER, the ER was full. But when I checked in and I said. I had this excruciating headache from out of nowhere. They took me in immediately. They did a CAT scan.
Robina Waterman: they saw the blood in my brain and they whisked me in the ambulance. to the premier hospital. in Denver for head injuries I think.
Robina Waterman: so
Lauren Brown: Thank you for sharing that. I think that's like. important for people to to hear because I'm sure like the immediacy of your response played a role in in your treatment and recovery.
Robina Waterman: Yeah, and actually when I was in the ICU They did a an ultrasound in my brain every day because with the blood in my brain That could cause what's called an ischemic stroke, which is the kind of stroke that causes a paralysis and the neurological damage and death.
Robina Waterman: And so they wanted to make sure they caught that before it might happen. And the woman who was doing that, she said, There's no one else who I'm doing this to who can even talk to me she said everyone else is you know on a ventilator or comatose and She said, The fact that you got help so quickly.
Robina Waterman: Saved you. spared you. So I think, Lauren, your question is a very good one.
Lauren Brown: Yeah.
Robina Waterman: is that We just need... to not hold back if we feel like something's really not right and if the worst case is it's you know it's confirmed that it's not anything serious okay but
Lauren Brown: Yeah.
Robina Waterman: If someone just... had this headache and just kept trying to take painkillers and I mean, really I could have then. it could because the blood in the brain could have then led to the most damaging kind of stroke or even death
Rich: but Was there a part of you that was... almost like incredulous. Like how could this be happening to me with. All of the fitness that I have. all of the, you know, all of the the the way you've taken care of yourself for years.
Rich: Was there anything that was like. Could this pod... you know like How could this pot be possible that I'm having a stroke?
Robina Waterman: Yeah, you know, I had someone else ask me that same thing. and I... Actually that never occurred to me. You know, I suppose.
Rich: Yeah.
Robina Waterman: At first I was just exhausted. anyway and i was miserable because you know in the icu there pricking you with needles and I couldn't sleep. And so maybe then I just didn't even have time to ask those kinds of questions. I mean, I certainly felt sorry for myself. That's part of.
Robina Waterman: the dynamic of months and months. I was just sad. and felt a lot of sense of loss but I think pretty early on, their diagnosis was, as you were just spelled, dealt a bad hand of cards and they were able to name it as a vascular malformation. so So I suppose by the time my brain was clear enough to ask questions like that.
Robina Waterman: I had answers that. So. Yeah, so I think they framed it as, yeah, just you were unlucky. and uh And some, yeah, bad luck and dealt a bad hand card. so
Rich: To the... to the being healthy. and responding quickly to this. You know. Most of the people that... We're in that same ward. We're probably going to be in there for weeks.
Rich: You were in there for days. Talk about like. how you how your doctor talked to you about your... your condition.
Rich: and how that helped you. First. you know recover in the hospital faster than others to be able to get out of the hospital. But then what was it like when you first like.
Rich: you know I remember us talking about... You know, when is it going to be time? to do Like any training. And and when you got cleared to train, talk about that return to training.
Rich: after you were released.
Robina Waterman: Yeah, I mean... I think, and actually this is even related to the other question too, is that... I think. One of the things I thought about even in the hospital and the doctors, what what they said to me is the fact that I was so healthy coming in.
Robina Waterman: really helped to me. not experience the worst of what it could have been. and When I even look back now, I feel that Yeah, the health I brought going in really helped with my recovery. so So I guess I'm happy to say that my attitude was always fairly positive, that I i saw the positive, even though.
Robina Waterman: I mean, a lot of the pain and difficulty I've forgotten it. So I'm really grateful for how our human spirit is. Is that we. maybe quickly forget. the difficulty and we hold on to the goodness. And that's maybe the general theme we're having here about gratitude. so So I guess my you know my return to training.
Robina Waterman: I think once I met Dr. Mike and he was able to tell me about his experience. Then I felt optimistic that I could race again. But you know, as you know, Rich, I had a lot of setbacks you know I would start training and
Robina Waterman: and have problems and and really in the beginning I just had to constantly monitor my heart rate and I learned pretty early on that my brain needed minimum 90 days to get past the crisis of the damage to my brain from having the blood in my brain. And so I needed to be pretty disciplined about not letting my heart rate get too high. and I'm happy to say that.
Robina Waterman: protecting my brain was such a clear commitment that that wasn't a hard thing for me to do. but the getting back to training took months really and it was kind of a a very disciplined process where I had to say, okay, if I'm running in zone one, then my heart rate needs to be zone one. And if I'm riding my bike and it's zone two, then my heart rate needs to be zone two. And so So it took
Robina Waterman: it it took a while and it was gradual and And there were a lot of... I never knew if I was going to race this summer and I really appreciate the conversations that you and I have because you helped me.
Robina Waterman: stay positive and say, okay, well, there are other things you could do that you'd love to do as an athlete. and So. Yeah, for months. There were a lot of uncertainties.
Robina Waterman: so
Rich: There weren't a lot of other examples either. I mean, like we had to learn. you know, from a Literally, so like a... A study of one athlete. how long it was going to take your HRV to get back to normal after workouts. like your recovery even after low intensity workouts took longer than it ever had before, as I recall.
Robina Waterman: Right. Right. Right. Yeah. And then. you might recall too i you know was able to I go to Tucson every spring for spring training camp.
Robina Waterman: And we were not able to go in the way we hoped to, my husband and I, but... eventually we said we need to redeem a little bit of this and we went for a couple of weeks and all of a sudden i had the altitude advantage living at higher altitude and then being at lower elevation and so i was able to start training. again a little bit you know I was able to do have some experience some kind of progress.
Robina Waterman: of being at zone three even and some fun runs. and And then I came home back to Colorado and I plummeted. again and you know in other words The elevation.
Robina Waterman: was really really hard on me. It was hard to recover living at higher elevation. And, you know, and that's where Dr. Mike, my friend, Dr. Mike really was helpful because I could. call him and talk to him or text him and And he was able to kind of ground me in the longer term perspective and understand these setbacks. so but I will say too within that Experience.
Robina Waterman: You know, I'd already qualified to be on Team USA for next year. And so I sat in on a Team USA meeting. We have monthly meetings. and It.
Robina Waterman: was a really significant moment for me because it just felt beautiful to be a part of Team USA and thinking about and dreaming about going to Worlds and so That kind of was a little bit of a light for me in the midst of my sadness. and And I didn't commit to going to Worlds until the absolute last day that I had to register, which was probably three weeks or a month before the races. but but at least going to those Team USA meetings.
Robina Waterman: gave me a sense of hope and connection to something that has always been a beautiful experience for me.
Lauren Brown: that I feel like. there are things that you've experienced that even if somebody is an athlete and not going through. Trauma. it's important to remember like that We're not always.
Lauren Brown: judged by the pieces that we hold or how we finish a race. And there are other metrics that are important for us to look at or other experiences. that are like important to look at to say.
Lauren Brown: this was a successful workout for me. This was a successful week for me. This was a successful race that might have nothing to do with the numbers and the stats that as athletes, we sometimes obsess over and we say.
Lauren Brown: I wasn't successful because of this or I was successful. So. From what you've gone through and you've you've already covered this a bit but i do just want to like reiterate it for anyone who's listening and it is like trying to shift their perspective a little bit. What?
Lauren Brown: Was there a moment, I guess, that you noticed that progress wasn't just is my HRV. Is my recovery a certain point? Is my numbers a certain point? And that you were like, okay, I trust the process of what we're doing is getting me to move forward to.
Lauren Brown: well, to get to to Worlds.
Robina Waterman: Yeah, it's interesting. I feel... I guess grateful for this, but and it's not unrelated to the questions you were asking rich is that you know having this subarachnoid hemorrhages stroke is so dramatic.
Robina Waterman: that in this weird kind of ironic way it freed me up a little bit. to just come to this place of being grateful. Grateful to be alive.
Robina Waterman: and You know, the reality is I've worked in Central America before. I have dear friends who live in extreme poverty. And I've worked with families who live in extreme poverty. They don't have clean drinking water. They don't have...
Robina Waterman: nutritious food to eat and so that helps root me as well. And. kind of guides and drives my gratitude. So this experience just brought me.
Robina Waterman: to and a capacity, a framework of gratitude that... I've probably wanted to have before. but not ever truly had before. so I...
Robina Waterman: I wasn't encumbered. by beating myself up for not running fast enough or you know i mean Did I wish I could generate the power on the bike? Of course. you know and Was I sad that I wasn't able to race? i mean There were races I signed up for that I couldn't.
Robina Waterman: couldn't race in. Was I sad about that? Yes. but I don't know. I think the more genuine place where I lived was feeling gratitude that I'm alive and I'm healthy and I'm able to build back to whatever might be in front of me and I never knew if I was going to go to worlds until pretty close to when I went. So i think gratitude to be alive was
Robina Waterman: And be healthy was a huge part of where I lived.
Lauren Brown: That's why they say them the more things you express gratitude for the more things you find to be grateful for so it's like that Continuous. cycle. so
Robina Waterman: Yeah. Yeah, definitely
Rich: So Rubina. A lot of uncertainty going into Pontevedra, but let's go, let's fast forward and and take a trip to Pontevedra, Spain. You're now on the start line of the Draft Legal Sprint Triathlon. What are you feeling on the start line?
Robina Waterman: Yeah, yeah, it's it was a really, It's a powerful experience to share about. and I'm just going to back this up just a little though, Rich, is that you know, going in, I'd done. a practice. I've done a triathlon here and in Colorado. I did an aqua bike here.
Robina Waterman: Those went well. But. I found that anytime I said out loud to anyone, Wow, I had a stroke on January 18th. And here I am at Worlds. I just started.
Robina Waterman: tears came to my eyes and my heart just got really tight and So... sort of in the days leading up to that race. I just felt drawn to God in a way that Again, maybe I've always wanted to have that kind of intimacy with God. I wanted to have that kind of.
Robina Waterman: connection to prayer. but I was drawn into it because I was scared. in a way that my head Didn't tell me. My head was telling me I'm fine. I'm good.
Robina Waterman: And Dr. Mike is telling me you're going to be fine, but I was full of emotions that was anxiety and so I I prayed with different people on Team USA. I prayed with my husband and my prayer was God just help me.
Robina Waterman: feel close to you draw from your strength and your light and be a witness to the world of what a gift our life is and what... a gift health can be and and So.
Robina Waterman: i I lived there. And so anyway, I got to the race and i I was ready and I tried to go really hard, but I told my husband, I said, do not tell me where I'm placing, where I'm at.
Robina Waterman: And I tried to just really free from my head any expectations about where I would place. And I had so much fun. I felt so alive. And I, you know, I train hard, right? I train hard and I'm experienced. And so I'm...
Robina Waterman: you know spending making sure i check all the boxes and i get there early and i'm prepared and But it was just fun. You know, it was fun. I got to execute on what I trained to do. and i felt alive and I felt this sweet intimacy with God that is rare. is a rare beautiful gift. and
Robina Waterman: it was together with my body felt strong and i'm passing people and i'm going hard and and even in the run you know i had some run injuries all summer because of the stroke actually is that my knee got weak and so I had some old knee injuries that plagued me and the run, I just felt strong and I couldn't believe it. I'm looking at my watch. I'm like, wow, I'm running the same pace I did at Worlds two years ago. and Anyway, and then I came across a finish line.
Robina Waterman: And I saw my husband and we saw a man who always tracks his wife. And I said, hey, Chuck, you know, do you? Have the tracker up. He said, oh, of course, of course, you know, and he I said, well, how did I do Chuck?
Robina Waterman: He said, you got fists. And I just... Could not believe it. I could not believe it because really I would have been happy. With anything I just would have been happy with anything so it was It was a really beautiful. experience so transformative for me.
Lauren Brown: You are like. You are amazing, Rubina. I just, I love hearing how like. how you talk and how, I mean, as you're talking, I'm like. Faith is your superpower. That's like your, like your superpower and what. Like.
Lauren Brown: because it's like you know the saying it's like let go and let god and it's like just having the faith that you're gonna be okay and and get through the the race and and having gratitude of just being able to race and however you finish, and the fact that you finished fifth in your age group, second among U .S. athletes.
Lauren Brown: and You also... no or yes oh but you're shaking your head i thought you were saying no Happy.
Robina Waterman: Yes. Yeah.
Rich: Yeah. I know it's crazy.
Robina Waterman: Yeah.
Rich: I mean, I'm... good
Lauren Brown: it's It's nuts.
Rich: it's It's unbelievable.
Lauren Brown: you have to
Rich: That's why I'm shaking my head.
Lauren Brown: Yeah, the second fastest bike split in your field.
Rich: Yeah.
Lauren Brown: like It's just wild what what faith and gratitude combined can do. And when you just, and also when you have fun, because I think that's like, sometimes we take it all a little too seriously. and It should be a fun experience. so The question I have for you from all of that is,
Lauren Brown: that Was there a moment during the race that told you like, just how far you had come from stroke to being on the race course and finishing as strongly as you did.
Robina Waterman: Yeah, there wasn't actually. And it's kind of interesting because. you know i did the aqua bike two days later. And
Robina Waterman: End. For me, like one of the things that helps my success is nothing goes wrong because I'm kind of prepared. and And for reasons I'm not exactly sure why, but I put my goggles on slightly differently and my goggles leaked in the swim. and There were three groups of women who started together. and And so I'm swimming hard. My goggles are leaking. I'm like, I can't.
Robina Waterman: You know, and I keep trying to fix them. and three, took three times for me to fix my goggles. And by the time I came out of the swim, I'm like, look at my watch. I'm like, Oh my God. i'm so slow and I forgot that I started my watch like over a minute early so I could pull my wetsuit over my watch and So it's the opposite, Lauren, is on the aqua bike.
Robina Waterman: I was like, oh my God. I'm so far behind. And it was beautiful because I said, Rubina. This is about God. This is about giving glory to God and showing the world that you are grateful for your health and grateful to be here. And I...
Robina Waterman: Switched gears. I ran so hard to that T1 and I had the first. fastest Transition time for T1 on the whole field. I got on the bike.
Robina Waterman: And I was like, dig deep rovina this is a way to show god and others you know the the gratitude you have for your health. And I went so hard and I had fun.
Robina Waterman: And then I got into the transition area and like so most of the bikes were still there. And some woman comes up to me and she's like, Hey, I think I got fourth and you got fifth. I was like, what? I could not believe it. And I guess what must have happened is, of course, I forgot that I turned my watch on early.
Robina Waterman: and that the women some of the women who passed me were in the younger age groups And. it turns out that you know i was within 30 seconds of like a group of seven other swimmers.
Robina Waterman: And I... erased our time difference because I beat them by 40 seconds up to two minutes in the transition so and I had the second fastest bike split again actually and So... So it was the opposite, right? i but i guess you know what the message in general is, right, is that
Robina Waterman: I probably have always wanted to be a person of gratitude. I'm a person of faith. i've always wanted to have my life reflect. the beauty of God and the power of God and the power of faith and but this experience kind of pulled that out of me
Lauren Brown: here
Robina Waterman: In a way that maybe. I have never done before And perhaps I'm vulnerable to the temptation of just thinking about. hey I'm used to winning or I'm used to doing well and so then I focus on that.
Robina Waterman: And then I feel this kind of pressure and it's kind of a more of a selfish focus, actually. And. So that's why this whole experience has been so transformational because God pulled me.
Robina Waterman: to a more beautiful place and I felt like actually I became a better human being as a result too.
Lauren Brown: Can I hug you right now?
Robina Waterman: Me too.
Rich: You know, I want to take... that last answer, Robina. And I'm going to ask, you know, this could be my closing question. You know.
Rich: you are in a you have You are seeing that this experience that you went through. has made you a better person you know there's a lot of people that go through you know either setbacks or tragedy and or adversity.
Rich: And when they look back on it. They realized it made them who they are and they wouldn't trade it. What would you... First of all, I do, you know. Do you agree with that to any any extent? and And if...
Rich: And either way. What do you think? Is the bigger. is the bigger impact. And you... and and is Is the work that you think that God is doing...
Rich: Having... through you, is it? about you or is it about others? In other words, is this a way for you to have an impact on others.
Rich: or Or do you feel like the impact is really squarely on you?
Robina Waterman: Yeah, I mean, I'll start there and and work back. but I Yeah, my my deep hope is is that this can be a way to show others. something that I learned. so Of course, I'm grateful for how it's transformative.
Robina Waterman: to me but you know both you know you follow me on social media and and In my posts, I typically don't talk about God. My faith is kind of a... a subtle sort of background and And I felt this time I just.
Robina Waterman: I needed to talk more honestly, I suppose, and not be afraid of how people might think I'm too religious or feel alienated. and and just share the message in a way that I hope could touch others. and And when I think about you know, what others can take from this that I hope others can take from this is that.
Robina Waterman: You can't lose if you focus on gratitude. you know And if you believe in God, then you can't lose if you aim to feel a closer intimacy with God. because you know if you focus on i want first place or i want fifth place or i want 10th place whatever Maybe you'll get it. Maybe you won't. but You never... will lose if you focus on being full of gratitude for our health and our privilege.
Robina Waterman: And... The reality is, is that My life. I am. so blessed and my life is abundant. I didn't die. And I don't have neurological damage. And I am a healthy person. And I was able to go to the World Championship, which is, you know, icing on a cake, I suppose. but but yeah i think The lesson that I hope others could experience is that
Robina Waterman: If we focus on being full of gratitude and... again you know intimacy with God if or intimacy with a higher power if that's maybe something that has more meaning for you.
Robina Waterman: then you'll you'll never lose you'll you'll be filled up and touched and transformed and strengthened. You'll experience joy. And so I think that's a lesson that has transformed me.
Robina Waterman: and I hope it can speak to others.
Lauren Brown: That. lends itself perfectly to what we wanted the action step to be for our listeners. because that is. Absolutely beautiful. and what we want our listeners to.
Lauren Brown: take away and do with this is one really absorb robina's story and what she just shared because everything you just said was absolutely beautiful and Write down. one thing that you're grateful to be able to do what do you get to do that you are grateful for today one meaningful next step.
Lauren Brown: and one person you can ask for support when you need it. and then bring that reflection to your next conversation with your coach. or with your training buddy or whomever. And just like. continue to have that attitude of gratitude and focus on your faith god the higher power whatever it is that that gets you through because that's just such such a beautiful way of being.
Robina Waterman: Amen.
Rich: Absolutely. Amen.
Lauren Brown: men Should we go to the fun segment?
Rich: You roll us right into the fun segment. We've got some fun for you, Robina. You ready to go from serious to fun? Here we go.
Robina Waterman: Sure.
Lauren Brown: You ready? all right so We are. packing an imaginary bag for the next chapter. We want you to give us the first answer that comes to mind. And please know that there are no.
Lauren Brown: Perfect. answers. All right. Nothing perfect required. All right, you ready?
Robina Waterman: Yeah.
Lauren Brown: All right, I'll kick it off. so What is one word you would put on the outside of that bag?
Robina Waterman: I don't have a word. But... I will put a list. of all the people who love and care for me. and support me on the outside of my bag.
Lauren Brown: better than one word.
Rich: o Better than one word. Love that. What is one song? you would have playing while you're packing it.
Robina Waterman: There's a lot, but I think Chariots of Fire has to be my answer for that.
Rich: Oh there you go. Yeah. and
Lauren Brown: What is it? One small joy from race day you would make room for.
Robina Waterman: Yeah, I guess the joy of feeling close to God
Robina Waterman: A sweet intimacy.
Rich: Sweet and juicy. I love that. All right.
Robina Waterman: Yeah.
Rich: And what is one piece of encouragement you would tuck inside for another athlete?
Robina Waterman: Yeah, I guess that last message I said that We can all experience joy and strength if we focus on... gratitude.
Lauren Brown: i love that that is a bag that we would love to see more athletes carry so thank you for sharing yours with us All right, well. That was a wonderful conversation. I'm like excited to actually listen back and hear everything from like a listener perspective that you share, at Robina. so Thank you.
Lauren Brown: So much for being here with us. For. any of our listeners out there, whether you're preparing for your first sprint triathlon. tackling a 70 .3 or chasing the iron man dream we can help you build a personalized roadmap If you have a coaching question.
Lauren Brown: Send us a message. If you love Robina's story, also send us a message and share that with us because we love the feedback. You can connect with us through our website. You can engage with us on the G2G community or on social media at G2G Endurance. and If you have questions, we may feature them on a future episode. You can contact us again at griterenessendurance dot com slash contact.
Rich: And if you know somebody who needs to hear this message. needs to hear this interview that we had with Robina. share this podcast with them. They need to hear this as well. It is going to be it is.
Rich: I do believe Rubina, you were put on this earth to make an impact and you are doing it. So let's. Let's get this out there as far as we can, folks. Our show was sponsored by Vespa nutrition. Vespa helps you tap into steady, clean energy so that you can stay strong, focused, and in the zone longer.
Rich: Less sugar. Higher performance, faster recovery. Use the code. G2G. Vespa 15. for 15 % off of anything in your cart anytime.
Rich: Thanks for spending time with us today on the Grit to Greatness Endurance Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, Please follow us and share a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts and YouTube. It helps us reach. more athletes just like you.
Rich: Stay gritty. Train smart. and keep chasing greatness. We will. See you next week.
