Teach Your Children Well

Earlier this year one of the most promising young talents in triathlon decided to retire at the age of 22. Hollie Avil was an Olympian and two-time world champion but she was desperately unhappy. Despite being incredibly blessed as an athlete, as a young woman Hollie had been crushed by the pressure to fit the mold of what many around her believed a triathlete should look like. What started with counting calories soon became a full blown eating disorder. While she continued to race after starting to heal herself, Hollie found she must leave the sport of triathlon to truly recover.

The physical is only part of the success equation for a triathlete. The mental strength required to tap into that potential is the real key. Hollie has shown this year that she has greater strength than most any athlete out there for she has walked away. But more impressive than that is the manner in which she has shared her story to help others. (This post originally appeared on TritonTriathlon.com)

Hollie’s original explanation of her retirement from The Observer.

Here’s a recent blog post in which she shares important lessons learned.