For Jarrod Shoemaker, his dream to get to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, is something of a family affair. A successful runner in both high school and college, Jarrod decided to become a triathlete on the advice of his Uncle, an Ironman competitor. His sister, Jenna, also competes in triathlons, and his younger sister and brother are on his former high school swim team, which he now coaches.

Jarrod swam and ran track at Lincoln Sudbury High School and was a standout on the track team at Dartmouth. Biking, however, is fairly new on his list of accomplishments, and is an activity he took up seriously in just the last few months.

Dedication and determination are what have allowed Jarrod to succeed, despite choosing to compete in triathlons less than a year ago. He trains 18-20 hours/week, swimming approximately 20,000 yards, biking 6-10 hours and running 30-40 miles each week. Fortunately, he had always lifted weights and swam to train for running, and the aerobic training needed for each of the three sports crosses over well to support each area.

Although he was engrossed by Olympic athletes as a child, Jarrod didn’t always know he would be one of them. Despite being at the top of his game in running, he didn’t feel he was quite good enough to cross into the elite group of runners that make it to the Olympics. “Elite or not, I was up there in running,” Jarrod said. “But I felt I needed a bigger jump in running to get to the top than I do to compete well in a triathlon.”

Jarrod said he always knew athletes had to work hard to get to the Olympics, and now he is finding out exactly how difficult it is. “It’s hard, but it’s fun,” he said. “I love getting on the starting line and pushing myself harder than I thought possible, and seeing how I match up against the other competitors.” Triathlons are especially fun to see where he matches up, he said, because there are three areas in which he might win or lose, three areas to analyze after the race and improve upon.

Jarrod relies on sponsorship to achieve his hopes and dreams for Olympic glory. With his training schedule, and travels around the world to race, finding a full-time job is nearly impossible. He does coach swimming, as well as teach swimming lessons and lifeguard, and he is taking graduate classes at Boston College so he can become a high school history teacher. He is also working toward a training certificate in strength and conditioning.

With the 2008 Olympics some distance away, his focus is currently on the World Championships slated for September 11, 2005, in Japan. Medaling in the under-23 category is important to him, as it will get his name out there and put him in a position to compete in other important races.

“The Olympics is a long-term goal, but I have a lot of short-term goals I intend to reach first,” he said.

Living A Dream

Few times in a lifetime does an athlete have the opportunity to line up and compete for a World Championship. Since world championships occur only once a year, and thousands of athletes attempt to reach that race alone, the odds are stacked against any athlete. A sport like triathlon makes the odds even greater; a bad swim, or a bad bike crash could put even the best athlete off of the podium. Despite less than 14 months in the sport of triathlon, I had just the opportunity to do so this past September 10, 2005 in Gamagori, Japan.

Since finishing my college running career in June of 2004 with a 12th place finish at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in the 5000 meters, I have been working hard to understand and learn the sport of triathlon. In my first year I won several local races and had my best race of the year at Under 23 National Championships where I ran a 30:30 10,000 meters to win, but I still had a long way to go to reach the international stage.

The winter of 2004-2005 provided me with my first taste of triathlon base training and I learned that to be a professional triathlete you have to be tough. You have to learn to survive three sports, swimming, biking and running, and you have to learn how to be an elite athlete in all three sports. I raced in my first cycling road races in the spring of 2005, an experience that made me much more comfortable in packs on the bike. Everything that I did was leading up to one race: the 2005 Under 23 World Championships.

As the racing season began I had a couple of successes, including two fifth place finishes in ITU races. My best race of the season was a 7th place finish at Hungary World Cup, my first top ten World Cup finish. However, as I approached the World Championships I knew that I was in perfect position.

When we arrived at the stadium for check-in the day before I was seeded #1. Some people are scared to be seeded first, but I love it; it means that you have a target on your back, everybody knows who you are, and they all want to beat you.

On race day, I warmed up as usual and tried to get comfortable in the warm humid weather, which was quite a challenge. Ten minutes before race time they lined us up and called our names. Being the first onto the pontoon was thrilling, but I knew it was time for business. As the horn sounded and the swim began I knew I was beginning with the discipline that challenges me the most. The water was disgusting: a mix of salt, gasoline, and motor oil. I had a good swim, but not as good as I had hoped. I came out at the front of the second pack, transitioned quickly and headed off onto the bike.

Once I started riding I felt strong; stronger than I have ever felt before. I worked hard and within 2 laps of the 7 lap bike course my pack had caught the front pack. I remained up front until the final half lap and came into transition with about 50 other Under 23 athletes. Once again I had a great transition, and flew onto the run.

It only took me about a mile to get up to the front of the race, where I started to push the pace. By the end of the first lap I was in the lead, but several athletes were right on my tail. From that point on I was working as hard I as I have ever worked trying to stay hydrated, keep good running form and stay positive. It was oppressively humid, but I knew that I could run faster than everybody else. As we turned for the final mile I started to pick up the pace. As I was about to enter the stadium Libby, our National Team Director, handed me an American flag. As I ran into the stadium I held the flag up high, my heart was racing I was so excited. I had achieved my first dream. I was so proud to be carrying the flag and winning the first US male medal since 1993.