Triathlete and mother of twins, Mary Bradbury is crying, her knees weak, throat dry, she is trembling.
Not because she is about to race, Bradbury is fearless when it comes to competing. She is a member of the U.S Team headed down to the World Championships in Australia and clocked faster times in the swim, than some of the professionals in Sundays Chicago Triathlon.
At the moment she is receiving a standing ovation from the newbie triathletes she coached all season long and is overcome with emotion, as they hoot and holler her name, the tears flow down her face. To watch the scene you know Bradbury is someone special, someone who has touched the lives of these athletes, someone who deserves to be our Athlete of the Month.
Bradbury was a competitive swimmer from ages 4-22, starting at the local YMCA, she participated at YMCA Nationals at the age of 12, made top 20 at Junior Nationals, and obtained a state title in the 200 free. She earned a scholarship to University of Illinois where she earned the honor of being the swim team captain. In 2006 & 2009 Mary made the USA Triathlon (USAT) All-American Team USA. It was in the Summer of 2009 she hit her stride as coach of Together We Tri.
Together We Tri. is the brainchild of head coach Elizabeth Hurley, it's for beginner triathletes looking to learn their way through the tumultuous waters of triathlon. As Bradburys' athletes will tell you Mary's personality and coaching style is the perfect fit for the anxious age grouper about to dip their feet into the world of triathlon.
The body of an underwear model, the patience of a 2nd grade teacher and the understanding of a psychologist, Bradbury worked all Summer long making sure that each and everyone of these athletes met their simple goal- "to cross the finish line."
Her athlete's goals aren't to qualify for Kona or even place in their age group, they are simple, but equally as important and Bradbury treats them with the respect and attention of world class athletes, offering advice, a kick in the butt and a shoulder to cry on. Her dedication to her athletes runs as deep as her dedication to representing our country at the World Championships.
Her athlete's are still cheering, she can barely speak as a tear hits the floor, the season is over and she knows tomorrow they will be gone. She looks up, finds the strength to simply say "thank you."
From the dozens of e-mails we received from athletes and friends of Mary, sharing stories of how she helped them along their journey as a coach and teammate, the thanks goes to you Mary-Thank You
We
wish Mary the best of luck as she represents our country at Worlds next
week and are proud to have her as our Athlete of the Month. If you
know someone that you would like to nominate as Athlete of the Month,
let me know.
To send Mary your well wishes as she heads off to
Worlds, log on and share them here, we will make sure they get to her.
To find out how Mary can be your coach, click here.
Filed under: coaching, Cycling, biking, Events, News, Reviews, Swimming, Triathlon
Tags: Athlete of the Month, Elizabeth Hurley, Mary Bradbury, Together We Tri.
Mary has been an incredible coach for the TWT group and for me for the past 2 years! She's really poured her heart and soul into this group. She helped lead me and many others to our first tri and beyond- while providing invaluable tips and training in all 3 sports. She's so willing to share her knowledge and like Dave said, is so patient. Mary's strong in ALL 3 sports- which takes a lot of knowledge and discipline!! She's going to do awesome in World's! We're so lucky to have her represent the USA and Chicago! Go Mary & Good Luck!!
"The body of an underwear model, the patience of a 2nd grade teacher and the understanding of a psychologist" -- LOL. TOO true. I don't think a person could give another human being a better complement than that!
I feel forever indebted to TWT and Mary as she helped guide me through this incredible journey of completing my first triathlon. Like so many other people, I thought there was no way I could do a tri, because I could not swim. Literally, I would sink like a rock. I'm so grateful I stumbled upon TWT and Mary. I started private swim lessons with Mary in April and by August, I successfully swam the mile necessary in the olympic distance of the Chicago Tri. It was a long road learning to swim as an adult, and when I did not believe in myself, she did. I'll never forget 4 weeks before the Chicago Tri, I freaked and wanted to bail out of the olympic distance. It didn't matter that I had just ran the San Francisco marathon a month prior and should have felt invincible. I had no confidence that I could swim, let alone swim a mile. That week was a low in my 12 week training and Mary was the turning point. This is what separates Mary from other coaches. She knew the right combination of encouragement, empathy and swift kick in the butt to give me the confidence to get back out there. Her wealth of knowledge and tips for nutrition, swim, bike, run and transition she shared with our TWT group gave us all the tools necessary for a successful and enjoyable experience. Thank you Mary for all your dedication to your TWT athletes!
Mary is going to rock the World's next week! Go Mary!
Thank you all for such kind comments! You have no idea how much I appreciate them!
-Mary Bradbury