I feel refreshed, which considering the dense and enlightening weekend I experienced is surprising. Once again I attended the Outspoken Women in Triathlon Summit in Tempe, AZ, and once again I walked out of the Summit on Sunday evening a different person than I did when I walked into it Friday afternoon. The head count was larger this year, so they moved the venue to the fitness center at the ASU campus, a brilliant move because the high intensity emitted from the speakers, panelists, hosts, and attendee’s of the Summit fit right in with the electric vibe of the college campus. There were some fellow returner’s from the inaugural, like my friend and TeamHPB Desert Camp Casita 15 roommate, Alysha Krall, and Live Feisty Media’s, If We Were Riding podcast co-host and newsletter writer, Kelly O’Mara, two passionate and hilarious women that are both fun to spend time with, and tremendous triathletes. I was thrilled to see them again. I was thrilled to see many new faces, too. Every single person who signed up for the Summit and ventured to Tempe from wherever they call home was my kind of person, a lover of triathlon, and a believer in making change.
The event officially kicked off on Friday night at a reception at the collaborative and hip downtown event space, Fabric. It was a larger and warmer venue than the frigid hotel rooftop we endured last year, an early sign that the feedback was received and acted upon. Furthermore, there was an abundance of tasty Vegan options at every meal, an improvement I greatly appreciated since I mainly subsisted on a loot of Bobo’s Lemon Bar’s I brought.
Friday night at Fabric.
Milling around the vast and gorgeous space, I was excited, but nervous. The room was packed with powerful women.
We were welcomed by one of the Outspoken founders, Live Feisty Media’s, Sara Gross, and Ironwomen podcast co-host, professional triathlete, and returning MC, Haley Chura, and then treated to an opening Keynote from two-time Olympian, and top professional triathlete, Sarah True. Naturally, I am a fan of all of these women for their impressive athletic accolades, but more so for their genuine and approachable personalities. I knew they wanted to be there just as much as the fiery crowd in front of them. Sarah’s insightful and humorous speech set the tone for all of us to think and act beyond ourselves, and Sara encouraged us to be open and mindful all weekend of each other and the topics discussed. I sat wide-eyed, but ready to absorb it all.
Keynote Speaker and Olympian, Sarah True.
Saturday morning kicked off with a group Fartlek run lead by the amazing coach, former pro triathlete, and someone I have admired for years, Marilyn Chychota. It was a fun and heart-pumping way to get to know more of the women, and to achieve a solid workout. I might have taken it more seriously than others since I am still in season, (I have one more race on my calendar this year), or I just could’ve just been excited because I was running just after sunrise with an Olympian and a more than impressive peer group. Nevertheless, I had a blast!
Saturday group run. Photo credit @Outspokenwomenintri.
The day started off with a Keynote from a revolutionary woman in sport and business, Sal Edwards. Sal’s speech blew the doors off of the Summit last year, so thankfully she made a repeat appearance that was equally, if not more impactful this year. It certainly was for me. She lead us in a very useful exercise to determine our business, which at the time left me tongue-tied, but moments after we sat down, I mumbled confidently to myself, my business is storytelling.
The incomparable, Sal Edwards. Photo credit @Outspokenwomenintri.
Next, we shifted into break out sessions. Shockingly, (not at all), I chose Crafting Your Story and Getting Published, lead by the Editorial Director and Senior Digital Editor of Pocket Outdoor Media, Erin Beresini and Liz Hichens respectively. They provided excellent insight and encouragement to pitch ideas for articles to write for Triathlete, and the other publications their parent company, Pocket Outdoor Media oversees, such as Velo News and Women’s Running. While listening and scribbling down notes the entire session, I felt for the first time that the barrier of entry to publication was not sky high, but with a heaping amount of creativity, grit, and diligent proofreading was actually within reach. Therefore, Erin and Liz, prepare your inboxes to be peppered with pitches from taryn@tarynspates.com for the foreseeable future.:)
Post lunch photo shoot with my teammates Jen and Shannon.
Before we began the afternoon sessions I strolled through campus and captured a fun visual moment with two of my favorite people and fellow TeamSFQ members, Jen and Shannon.
Nary much else beats the calling of a Palm Tree tunnel.
We were wholly assembled again to listen and learn from the transgender, track cycling age-group world champion, Dr. Rachel McKinnon, https://www.rachelmckinnon.com/. I wrote a ton of notes during her presentation, Including Trans Women Athletes in Sport: The Law, Ethics, and Science of Fairness in Single-Sex Competition, because it was extremely well done, and the topic was fascinating and important. I am not well-versed in the science behind natural testerone in both sexes, or more accurately the broad spectrum of sexes, but after listening to Dr. McKinnon’s presentation, I do believe it is fair for transwomen to compete in the female category.
There is no way I can convey this without sounding sideways to someone, but what her talk made me realize more than anything else, is that there is indeed a wide spectrum of “women,” both in sex and gender, but until each category is delineated, (which for better or worse may never happen), we all fall under the female category in competition.
In my opinion, that is fair.
From left, Sara Gross, Dr. Rachel McKinnon, Dr. Lisa George, Rachel McBride, and Dr. Lisa George. Photo credit @Outspokenwomenintri.
The next panel delved deeper into the Inclusivity of Gender in Triathlon, and featured Dr. McKinnon, pro-triathlete Rachel McBride, who identifies as non-binary/genderqueer, Dr. Lisa George, and Diversity & Inclusion and SafeSport Education Manager, USA Triathlon, Megan Ritch. The room was thick with sensitivity and intention. We were all there to help widen the entry for all women to compete in triathlon, but damn was it tense.
I believe the discussion brought up more questions than answers, which felt somewhat satisfying because we cracked open a difficult discussion, yet I walked away feeling defeated. I felt that women as a whole are farther apart than I imagined, and felt the only way to resolve the issue was to break it down in its simplest form, when we are running, we are runners, not men, not women, but bodies in motion, athletes, unshackled from whatever internal or external labels that were placed on our backs at birth. However, I realize there is no simple answer, especially in a competitive setting, but I believe when we get down to the nitty gritty we are all unique human-beings who should have the same rights to live, breathe, eat, and compete whenever and wherever we want.
And, exhale…… Is everyone still with me?
Next up, I got a chance to catch up with Susan Lacke, the amazing writer of smash hit books like, Life Is Too Short To Go So F*cking Slow and Running Outside The Comfort Zone. I have admired Susan’s writing for years, but we also share an experience that cements our connection for life, we roomed together for my first TeamHPB Smash Camp in 2013. That BIG week was rough and rewarding for both of us, honestly I might not have survived if it weren’t for Susan’s hilarious wit and constant support keeping me going during the high’s and low’s of intense triathlon training.
Me and my pal, Susan Lacke.
It was so great to see her.
Then came the awards dinner and Summit Slam.
The awards were fun and well-deserving. I was blown away by the accomplishments of not only the winners, but the entire slew of nominees. Every single one of these women is a hero in their community and triathlon at large.
Mid slam performance.
I wrote my poem for the Slam on Thursday morning, by Saturday afternoon, I felt its significance was obsolete. I almost chucked the entire thing, and let go of the pathetic sob story of my dashed dreams earlier in the year, and embrace the pure passion I felt for finally feeling like an athlete again, but I chickened out, and decided to go with the original piece that I had nearly memorized.
That was the wrong choice.
I butchered both the poem and the delivery, but I don’t think the crowd realized I blew it, I sensed that a couple of lines resonated, but it was not my best showing. Oh, well. I still loved my time on stage, and was inspired by all of the amazing performances that filled the room with raw emotion and delight.
Rachel McBride mid Slam-dunking the poem performance.
Kelly O'Mara making poetry out of realily.
Sunday morning’s sunrise long run was a glorious way to start the last day of the Summit.
Post run posing with Alysha Krall and Lizzie Nyitray.
I ran a comfy two hours alongside Alysha, and pro triathlete, Lizzie Nyitray, which was a fantastic way to explore the predawn desert hours, and to get to know each other better.
Media panel, from left: Dr. Mako Fitts Ward, Erin Beresini, Susan Lacke, and Kelly O’ Mara.Photo credit @Outspokenwomenintri.
The first panel of the day, Media, Language, and Representation in Sport, featured Dr. Mako Fitts Ward, Erin Beresini, Susan Lacke, and was moderated by Kelly O’ Mara. These ladies tackled a very frustrating subject, how to shine a brighter light and give more attention to women's sports in the media with tact and tenacity. I was impressed and invigorated by each one of their points of view, and look forward to highlighting more women on my own platform in the media through my blog, (posted every Tuesday), and show on InstagramTV, Taryn’s Triathlon Time, (posted every Friday).
Next up was another set of Break Out sessions. I chose the one lead by the dynamic team at Reinas, Dana Platin and Rachel Joyce, How To Be Your Own Agent Of Change. I attended their breakout session last year, and was blown away by the broad, yet concise methods of how to tap into our true character, and then hone in on steps to achieve big goals.
Reinas founders Dana Platin and Rachel Joyce. Photo credit @thereinas.space
This year’s session was even better.
I walked away having a better sense of myself, along with tangible steps on how to move in the right direction to achieve my goals for change.
Lunch was rushed, but fantastic. I jumped at the chance to chat more with Rachel McBride, the continuation of a year long mission after just scratching the service of getting to know her last year, which was awesome, but short-lived because the afternoon Keynote speaker Colonel Yvonne Spencer was coming in hot to share her inspiring story of how important it is, To Be First, and Why It Matters. She plans to take on race directing as her next pursuit, and I promise to be a paying participant once her event is up and running.
The final break-out session I attended, Starting a Business & Strategies for Success was presented by one of the most successful women in the business of endurance apparel, the founder of BOCO Gear, the always authentic and cool, Kay Martin. I heard Kay speak last year and learned a ton, and now that I am making a business out of my storytelling skills, I wanted to come back for more.
BOCO Gear's Founder, Kay Martin.
She did not disappoint.
I also used the few minutes in between her session and the round table discussions to introduce myself to Sarah True, and tell her how much I love the name of her YouTube channel, TrueTube, (she shares it with her professional running husband, Ben True), and how much I enjoyed the episode she shot after her race at Ironman Frankfurt.
I had a tough time articulating how I felt after my Ironman Boulder never was race, and even though our circumstances were different, I identified with her emotions, and truly appreciated her willingness to share them with her audience. Plus, she high-fived me when I said we shared our first Kona races, 2018, so that was a definite highlight of my life.:) I did not want to sour the moment with a selfie, but our sincere exchange confirmed my hunch that she is a wonderful person, and a fantastic pro I will continue to cheer for.
The final official minutes of the Summit were filled with brainstorming teachable moments and take-a-ways that we gained over the weekend, and will bring back to our communities to further our pursuits of growing triathlon to include and encourage everyone to join in on the fun and madness of being a triathlete.
The Summit founders, Sara Gross and Lisa Ingarfield, wrapping up another life-altering weekend.
However, the night did not end there. A gaggle of women met up at The Graduate hotel bar to laugh and let loose for a few more hours before the weekend really did come to a close. I used this whimsical window of time to test out my Irish accent on The Voice Of Ironman Ireland, Joanne Murphy, (no pressure), which she did not review favorably, but it was a hit with the Americans at the table, so I’ll take it!
The women behind the Outspoken Women In Triathlon Summit.
Finally, it was time to say, thank you and see you next year to the amazing crew that put the Outspoken Summit together: Dr. Sara Gross, Dr. Lisa Ingarfield, Dr. Alicia Allen, Mandy Midget, Haley Chura, Ashley Wiles, and Jessica Cooper. I hope I didn’t miss anyone…? Thank you very much for creating an event for so many people to become the change they want to see in the triathlon world and beyond.
I know I’m pumped!! Let’s GO!!
The song and video choice this week is, Good As Hell, from the talented and inspiring artist, Lizzo. Enjoy.
*SPOILER Alert*
The dad in the story within a story I wrote in last week’s post was Batman.