Tarnished
October 19, 2012The look on my husband’s face said it all. Disappointment, disbelief, heartbreak. Maybe some anger even. If I were him I would have a lot of anger.
Yesterday it was announced that an age grouper tested positive for illegal substances. Read the name and the full report right here, this link also contains a link to the actual report from the USADA. I can’t speak on anything regarding the specifics of the case as I am not involved. What I can speak on… is how it affects one man. My husband.
He looked like he’d been punched when I told him. I handed him the phone so he could read it himself, and he shook his head. “I can’t even read it right now.”
Curt Eggers began this sport in his late thirties. He taught himself how to swim. In his first triathlon he was the last man out of the water. Five years later he came back and won that very race five years in a row. When I met Curt he had qualified for Age Group Nationals for the first time.
In the 12 years I have been married to this man I have supported him through 4 Ironman races. Including Hawaii. Including an amazing 9:54 performance at the age of 54. (Yes, there is a BIG age difference between us,1 2 years of marriage should say something about that). He’s a five time National Champion in both triathlon and duathlon. The accolades I can give this man would take three pages. He’s also the most humble.
The secret to the success of Curt Eggers is very simple…. consistent and smart training. I can count on one hand the amount of times he’s been injured. He doesn’t brag. He doesn’t own a heart rate monitor or a powermeter. He takes a HUGE off season every single year. He eats well. He doesn’t train in big groups. He doesn’t overtrain. He is always prepared when it comes to a race.
In 2007 at the World Championships in Germany….. he was drug tested. And he came out clean.
He puts in the work year after year after year. He lays a big base and builds off of it. It’s really quite simple.
I have listened to him speak of the athlete found guilty of doping, in admiration. He looked up to him. When that guy was racing, everyone else was racing for second place. How is that guy so good? He must just have incredible genes. man I wish I had that kind of natural talent.
I haven’t done it yet, but I am going to go through the results and see where he robbed Curt of a podium. A medal. has he?
Curt is disappointed. I haven’t spoken to him much about it yet but I am very interested to hear his reaction. All of his own hard work. Curt has always played by the rules. How does he feel about this? I have to guess he feels cheated. I have to guess that he wonders why. I have to guess that he feels hurt. Wouldn’t you?
It’s hard for me to wrap my head around why age groupers use performance enhancing drugs. What is there in it for us except a $3 medal? There is rarely prize money. Certainly not in WTC races. A few free products? Really? It’s worth damaging your health for…. that?
I think doping comes down to one thing. Yourself. And insecurity. If you feel that you HAVE to be the best…… if you feel that you CAN NOT lose…… so badly that you are willing to cheat….. that says something to me about the person you are. And how you feel about yourself. I think doping comes from a very deep insecurity that only standing on a podium can cure….. and that is a hollow fix. Not a real fix. Not a solution to your insecurity.
What’s the fix? A ban is nice I guess. But the damage is done. I believe in second chances in life….. but once a cheater…… always a cheater? I don’t know.
I think the fix is a good therapist. A good examination of your morals, ethics and values because if you are willing to dope, you clearly have none. If you are willing to cheat in sport…… how do you live your life?
All I know is that I am married to a man who works more consistently, smarter and harder than anyone I have ever met in my life. He achieves things the old fashioned way, nose to the grind. One step at a time. Has he been cheated out of some podiums? We will see.
But he is the guy who loses in this situation.
It never ceases to amaze me how selfish some people are and what steps they will take to feed that selfishness. That dude didn’t need to cheat. But he was narcissist and selfish enough that he felt whatever need to artificially improve himself so that he could “look good”. It’s a real shame that people stoop to that level.
BTW, I’m really curious as to your reaction to all of the materials that USADA released re: Lance? I know you’re fond of him due to his cancer work and the investment he shared with you on the Teens for Cancer campaigns. I know there’s a lot of vitriol about the topic – since you know him, I think your perspective would be a great read.
Have a great weekend!
Just read the reasoned decision. Sounds like he took Testosterone for medical reasons but didn’t get the required TUE to document make that usage “legal”. Maybe there wasn’t any mal-intent. One can be hopeful that was the case and that he wasn’t purposefully cheating….
Because of the good character of the people I’ve met in my newly adopted sport of four years, naively, I thought, hoped and blindly believed the sport to be clean. I wanted to be associated with something ‘good and pure’. I raced for charity, a first in my life. The triathlete community appeared supportive of each other. I dream and strive to hopefully someday ‘do realy well’. I even dare to dream of Kona.
My only supplement I take is chocolate milk – a recovery benefit that allows me to jusify this beverage as I enter my late 40′s.
I read a little bit about this guy along with some boastful claims. With his years in the sport and alleged success, he should or does know better of banned substances. He can’t. Or shouldn’t claim ignorance.
Disappointed and cheated, yes, are legitimate responses even from the back of the field. I’ll continue struggle and work hard because my personal success will taste sweet, not artificial. Unfortunately though, I will look suspiciously at those standing on the podium or treading water at Kona. How did they get there and at what cost?
I know “the guy” since I live in Atlanta, and it does not surprise me one bit. Huge accolades to Curt for doing it the right way!
Out of curiosity I looked up the athlete in question(there is a ton of material out there). What is really sad is even if there was a legitimate medical reason for using a banned substance, he had to have been aware of the proper protocols to follow.
BTW, Curt is MY hero!
In light of this post, and the the recent mass dropping of Lance Armstrong by his sponsor’s — have your feelings on Lance as an athlete (not as a cancer fundraiser/advocate) but as an athlete, changed at all?
I have been thinking long and hard about this very question, and obviously asked about it a lot.
1. As a cancer crusader: no doubt in my mind Lance is the real deal. This is the Lance I know and have worked alongside with. No doubt in my mind that he is legit here.
2. The athlete: I have read and re read everything. The best way I can say it is this…..
we have a murder, a murder weapon. But no actual murder.
We have a lot of people who heard him do it, saw him do it. Were part of it.
We have no murder, murder weapon, or body.
Does that make sense?
Where do I stand on Lance the athlete? I don’t know yet!
In part – yes.
I was a huge Lance fan as both an athlete and a cancer advocate, I struggle with same questions.
Sometimes – I flat out don’t care that he cheated. His cheating allowed him to excel. Livestrong and the LAF was built on his success. Would he have been as compelling a story, and as successful an advocate if he raced clean, and finished 50th? Absolutely not.
Other times, particularly after reading about the Andreus, Emma O’Reilly, Mike Anderson etc. and others whose lives were destroyed by the Corleone like way Lance ruled the cycling industry – I feel otherwise.
I truly believe that up till the USADA report came out, had Lance simply admitted what he did, asked forgiveness and continued his work against cancer he’d still be seen as hero.
Now I think it may be too late, and I think Livestrong will be irreparably harmed. And I worry the money that went to Livestrong, won’t find its way to other equally worthy charities. Because of that, I’m not sure how to separate the two versions of Lance.
I may joke around a lot and take many things lightly. But I know this: Curt is the real deal! Don’t tell him this but I have always had the utmost respect and admiration for his attitude and work ethic. I was with him at the beginning and he never ceased to amaze. Basically, I like the guy. BTW, he may have had a little help in the early days getting his float on..
On the Lance front: everyone who’s ever known me will tell you…”Girty does not like Lance Armstrong”. While I have backed off on my criticism out of respect for the awesome work you do MWE, what I know first hand of the guy, will not sway my opinion. What I know…LiveStrong was Nike’s idea. Lance was, and continued to be paid handsomely for everything he did as spokesperson for “his foundation”. I do care whether he cheated. Of course he will fade away with his millions and I say to that, good riddance.
You know I will forward this RIGHT to him!