Balancing Family, Career & Fitness

Andy’s Journey Back to Fitness, Family, and Fulfillment

At RTA Triathlon, we work with athletes of all abilities and backgrounds—from first-time racers to seasoned competitors—helping them prepare for their big events while balancing the demands of work, family, and life. Every athlete has a unique story, and every journey is personal.
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This is Andy’s.

​Starting Point: “I just wanted to get my life together.”
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When Andy reached out to RTA in November 2024, his goals weren’t about podiums or medals. They were about balance, identity, and reclaiming a part of himself that had been buried under the demands of life as a husband, father of three, and professional.

“I wanted to incorporate training into my life without it being a detriment to my family,” Andy explained. “I wanted to feel like an athlete again, be healthy, and maybe even see if I could tap into the speed of my younger self.”

At first glance, Andy had the resume of a lifelong athlete. He was a four-year Division I rower in college, had cycled across the country, coached at both the high school and college levels, and completed endurance challenges including a 70.3 triathlon and a marathon. But over the years, as his family grew, his identity as “the athlete” began to fade.
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“I used to thrive on big goals,” he reflected. “But once I became a dad, the wheels fell off. The personal time I once had for training seemed selfish. Fitness became inconsistent, and with it, I lost a big piece of myself.”

Andy approaching the finish chute at his first triathlon in years, looking good and feeling good!

The Challenge: Parenting, Pressure, and Perspective

Like many parents, Andy felt torn between responsibilities and passions. He admitted to wrestling with guilt whenever he tried to carve out time for exercise. “I expected parenting to come naturally, but it was harder than I thought. The early years with kids were dominated by sleep deprivation, tantrums, financial stress. The joy others seemed to find so easily in parenting felt elusive to me.”

​At the same time, Andy struggled with training goals that no longer fit his reality. He kept setting lofty targets, only to fall short—leaving him frustrated and disconnected from the sport he once loved.

That’s when he decided he needed something different: structure, accountability, and a plan that would support his goals without competing against his role as a husband and father.

Andy heads off onto the bike during his triathlon while Coach Elizabeth cheers him on.

Enter RTA Triathlon Coaching

Andy began working with Coach Elizabeth (“Coach E”) at RTA Triathlon. Our approach is simple but powerful: we create customized training plans built one week at a time, tailored around each athlete’s life—family, career, and commitments included.

For Andy, that flexibility was a game changer.

“Coach E has a reputation for pushing her athletes hard when they need it,” Andy said. “But the real gift was learning how to go easy on myself. When life happened—when parenting got in the way of training—we adjusted. Instead of feeling like a failure, we made a new plan and kept moving forward.”

This was the mindset shift Andy needed:

Forget the athlete I was yesterday. Focus on the athlete I am today.

The Breakthrough: From a Race Plan to a Life Lesson

With his training back on track, Andy entered the 2025 season with renewed energy. He had races on his calendar and a clear plan to follow. But the most meaningful moment of his journey didn’t happen at a triathlon—it happened at a small summer camp race in Vermont.

Every year, Andy had returned to this camp to run a familiar 10K course he’d raced since he was 12 years old. In his prime, he ran it in 43 minutes. In 2025, he set a modest goal: 57 minutes.

At the starting line, his 10-year-old son, Caleb, announced he wanted to run too. Caleb had never gone farther than a few little league bases. Andy braced himself for disappointment—there went his plan for the day.

But then something remarkable happened.

Mile one ticked by. Caleb was still there.
Mile two, mostly uphill. Still there.
Mile three, tough terrain. Still hanging on.

Finally, Caleb cracked—briefly. But instead of quitting, he sprinted to catch up, telling his dad, “I can keep going.”
Side by side, they kept running. Mile after mile, stride for stride. They crossed the finish line together in 63 minutes—slower than Andy’s original goal, but infinitely more meaningful.
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“I couldn’t believe it,” Andy said. “It was one of the best moments I’ve ever had as an athlete. I was sharing something deeply personal with my son. For the first time, we connected through my passion in a way I had always hoped for.”

The Transformation: Beyond Finish Lines

That day reframed everything for Andy. Training and racing were no longer zero-sum games where his kids “took away” from his athletic identity. Instead, they became opportunities to share experiences, teach resilience, and inspire by example.

“So yes, I had a plan for that 10K. And yes, I thought parenting would go according to plan too. It didn’t, in either case. But when things change, you adjust the plan and keep going. Forget the athlete I was yesterday—focus on the athlete I am today.”

By the end of the 2025 season, Andy didn’t just “get his life together.” He redefined what success meant: consistency, balance, and connection—with himself, his family, and the sport he loves.

Why Andy’s Story Matters

Andy’s journey is a powerful reminder that triathlon is about more than finish times. It’s about finding balance, rediscovering identity, and learning to thrive in the midst of life’s challenges.

At RTA Triathlon, we specialize in helping busy people—parents, professionals, and athletes of all experience levels—train for their big race without sacrificing what matters most. We meet each athlete where they are, provide structure and accountability, and create custom weekly training plans that flex around their real lives.

For Andy, that meant not just crossing finish lines, but sharing one with his son.

Final Thoughts

Andy’s story highlights what’s possible when passion meets intentionality, and when the right support system is in place. It’s not about chasing who you were years ago—it’s about embracing who you are today and unlocking what’s possible for tomorrow.

Or as Andy so perfectly put it:
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“Forget the athlete I was yesterday. Focus on the athlete I am today.”

Andy nears the end of the bike portion of his triathlon and mentally prepares for a strong run.