Christ Kona?

forfeited the $800 registration fee. “I
didn’t reverse my decision with the Ironman
corporation in hopes that the event
might change and take place on Sunday.”
Weighing In
Alicia and her small family weren’t
the only ones affected by her qualifying
for Kona—or by her decision not to participate.
Some friends sent money to
help with the trip’s expenses, which
would likely be at least $3,000. Several
shared their opinions. Some were solicited
and welcome, some were not.
The Trotts requested a meeting with
their pastor, Mark Pekar. Pekar was
respectful of their situation. He was
also helpful, telling them, “If there
wasn’t a struggle, there wouldn’t have
been growth. That’s where growth
comes from. And if there wasn’t that
temptation, there wouldn’t have been a
learning experience for you.”
Says Trott, “That was true. And I blogged
about that, too. I wanted to be real with
everyone who was reading my blog. I had a
friend who flew to Lake Placid to watch
me, and who started collecting an impressive
sum of money to fund my trip to
Kona. I knew I had to let my friend know
what my decision was as soon as possible
so she could return any collected funds to
the generous givers. I thought, I’ve really got
to make sure I do the right thing; got
to really listen to God and what He’s
telling me.”
Alicia felt pulled in different
directions as she contended
with her triathlon community,
her family, and her church
family. The triathlon community
knew how hard—how
almost impossible—it is to
qualify for Kona. “They think
Kona is the ultimate,” explains
Trott, “and so many of them
have been trying for years to qualify.
Some of them were upset with me, and
[refuse to] talk to me. I joined the group
and did this training, and they knew I
was a churchgoer—they knew I was a
Christian. People would say things during
the training, kind of slamming that a
little bit, but it didn’t bother me much.
And then just to see the success I experienced,
even though they never saw me
train on Sabbath; I just hope that they
connect the blessings as being from God.
I don’t know if they do, but I hope so.”
Church members also voiced their
opinions. Alicia was surprised when
some she thought would have been
encouraging her not to do it were urging
her to compete at Kona on a Sabbath.
“We also had people upset at us, believing
that we were considering it,” says
Trott, “people who said they wouldn’t
support us at all if we went. They were
there to offer their opinion—and act as
my conscience—because they were concerned
about my salvation. Some of this
was short and abrupt—and hurtful.”
The Ultimate Achievement
“Qualifying for Kona is the ultimate
achievement in triathlon,” Trott says. “You
can’t really go any further unless you
become pro and you start winning multiple
Ironman World Championships. There
is no higher race or bigger race. Kona is the
Olympics of triathlon. Similar to the World
Series of baseball.” And even though Alicia
hadn’t invested as much money as some in
this purported “rich man’s sport,” with
expensive equipment, health club memberships,
and coaches, she and her family
had invested much in time and energy.
While Trott was able to come to the decision
not to race on Sabbath rather quickly,
the disappointment and the hurt she experienced
took longer to resolve.
Alicia went to church on October 13,
2012. “This is the day Alicia would have
been running, and she’s grieving,” said
Rick Trott, her father-in-law. “It was the
right decision, but she’s still grieving.”
“I definitely shed a lot of tears,” agrees
Trott, “but when I look back, it all starts
to make sense. Even the harsh words
from some people really helped me listen
to the small voice that convicted me
to make the decision [not to race].” Trott
describes being at church that day, reading
the Bible, and praying. “I was thinking
about Kona. But I was still so
grateful for my decision. I didn’t have
one regret and didn’t desire to be there.”
Trott is circumspect: “If it was on Sunday,
yes, if things could have been different,
yes. But having seen my influence on
people, having the weight on my shoulders
of having influenced them differently—that
would have been horrible.”
Not only did Alicia share her decision—and
her faith—with those she met
and with those who read her blog; but
she was able to share her experience during
a church service a few weeks before
the race day. After Alicia briefly explained
the situation and the decision, church
members presented her with flowers
and a personalized card. The woman who
had been interviewing Alicia during the
service concluded with a request, saying,
“Church family, repeat after me, ‘Alicia,
we hold you in the highest esteem, and
we support your decision.’ ”
“I told them, ‘This is more meaningful
than the medal I got!’ ” remembers Trott.
“Hearing the whole church say that in
“People can be wonderful,
they can be great influences,
but in the end a person has
to look to God.”
unison to me, I was just like Lord, how
much support can I feel! And ultimately,
even though there were some who said
some things that hurt, ultimately I
focused on that support. I came into my
own that day. I walked out of that church
just feeling so proud and so blessed to be
part of that family—a family where I’d
grown up, was baptized, and married.”
www.AdventistReview.org | May 16, 2013 | (437) 21