WWMS’s 2020 Year in Review

1/17/2021

Plenty has been said about what was lost in 2020. The tragedy, fear, and disappointment we all faced, combined with all of our favorite activities grinding to a halt, means that most of us are ready to forget last year like a bad dream. I do not wish to minimize the very real pain and loss caused by the-virus-which-shall-not-be-named. But in reflecting back on how our team dealt with the past year, I was reminded of how strong my teammates are, how much we achieved together, and how many memories we managed to make in the midst of all this chaos. Though they may have been few and far between, good things DID happen, and I want to take some time to celebrate those.

March & April
Everyone knows triathletes are good at transitions! As the early months of the pandemic unfolded:

We held a team book club meeting online (we discussed Good to Go by Christie Aschwanden, which ended up being a team favorite!)
We had a fun online team social and trivia challenge
We created a team recipe book to maximize pandemic kitchen experimentation
We took A LOT of masked selfies on solo runs

May

With pools being closed and everyone feeling cabin fever to the extreme, teammates were ready to start open water swims practically as soon as the ice melted! May kicked off a summer of safely distanced group swims.
We started weekly virtual strength sessions

June

Over a dozen teammates participated in a trash clean-up day at the Upper Mystic Lake, one of our favorite training spots
We played a month’s worth of workout bingo with challenges ranging from “50 burpees in a day” to “set an athletic goal.” Winners got sweet new TYR goggles!
Several teammates participated in the Wheels of Change Ride for BLM. The Board of Directors began discussing and brainstorming team efforts on equity, inclusion, and active anti-racism (more on this to come!)

July

We held a virtual "YouAthalon" with Coach Will - a guided practice in reflection and goal setting.

August

We held an Iron Man challenge - 16 teammates completed at least one iron man distance throughout the month, with some completing up to FOUR iron mans!
A small group of teammates embarked on the annual No Sleep til P’town ride, successfully completing the ~135 mile trek from Boston to Provincetown.

September

We were able to hold a scaled down version of our annual DIY tri. We got great weather for a masked and distanced hang out on the beach afterwards!
Our weekly Tuesday training night included PUPPIES for a few glorious weeks

October

A small group of teammates embarked on an apple cider ride, including foliage, food, and an epic bike mechanical rescue mission

November

We had our year-end party outside, drive-by (or bike-by) style! The team gift this year? Masks, of course.
We switched to our winter training activities with new masking, physical distancing, and size limit protocols. Virtual strength sessions, track workouts, virtual bike trainer sessions, and small group runs are all going strong.

In looking back at the past year, I mostly want to celebrate you, dear teammate. You are remarkable for WHATEVER you have achieved this past year. Did you complete a virtual race or challenge? Did the cancellation of life as we know it get you try something new? Did you change your perspective? Did you care for mini-teammates or other family members? Did you finally take time to slow down and recover and take care of yourself? Did you simply survive? Whatever it was, please remember: you are strong, you are a fighter, and we applaud you. Whatever uncertainties the future holds, I’m glad to say at least one thing with confidence: we will continue supporting each other and celebrating each other’s victories no matter what!