I have really enjoyed reading Taylor's emails so I thought I would share a couple of them. I am so happy and proud of her!
Last week I journeyed from sunny San Diego to the cold, frozen world of Colorado Springs. I was there for five days training for Paralympic Triathlon! I never thought I’d be a Triathlete, but I figured it was an adventure worth taking.
The Paralympic Triathlon family is so much different than track and field. So different and wonderful that I found myself tearing up at the sheer thought of it. Everyone treated each other with the utmost kindness and respect. There were no exclusive groups or cliques, and we always encouraged and supported each other. I felt the Spirit there, and many of the athletes are members of the Church of Jesus Christ. This was where I belonged!
The Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center where we stayed was absolutely amazing! We were at the pool every day at 9 am and the facility there was gorgeous. A lot of the hallways in the buildings had murals and pictures of famous Olympians. The weight room was immense and complete with various modalities and equipment. Don’t get me started on the food! I could go on and on! On Valentine’s Day that had a CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN! So good! They also had a cookie decorating station on Friday, AND there were FREE macaroons ALL WEEK LONG. Their shrimp was exceptional and they always had different kinds of pancakes for breakfast. They also had a machine that squeezed oranges into orange juice. It uses cases upon cases of fresh oranges a day to make freshly squeezed orange juice, but it is the best you will ever taste!! Oh, and they had ice cream so that’s always a plus. And snacks. Like pretzels, granola bars, and a build-your-own trail mix station. Also some popcorn too… I could go on, and on, and on. They even had soup!
I met my guide and she’s incredible! Her name is Courtney and she competed in a lot of triathlons, marathons, and Ironmans. She went to a world championships in one of them although I can’t remember which. She’s incredible! We practiced being tethered together in the water during the swim sessions. The coaches assessed my form, and I was able to shave 50 seconds off my Critical Swim Speed (CSS). The coaches were very impressed. Courtney and I also worked on maneuvering around buoys in the water. We also practiced dock and open water starts. I learned how to tread water and even kept up with the rest of the swimmers on the starts. The coaches said that if I trained for 6 months with a coach, I could become very competitive in swimming!
We weren’t able to ride the tandem bikes for the cycling session because of a big snowstorm, so instead, we did a 5-minute power test on the bike. We did warm-up and 45-minute intervals before taking a break and gearing up for the test. Courtney encouraged me and helped pace me through and I was able to score very high. The coaches got very excited and I even got to meet the Colorado Springs Resident Coach.
On the running portion, Courtney and I were tethered at the waist. We did 10x300 meters continuously and lapped everyone. We even lapped several people twice. The coaches pulled me aside later that day and I received several coaching offers and encouragement to race this summer. I’m so excited!
I also met this girl named Jossilyn, who is a guide for the visually impaired in Paratriathlon. It turns out that she is also a member of the Church and her Triathlon club in Towson is 95% member of the church of Jesus Christ. Their coach served his mission in Brazil, and he invited me to come down and train with them for periods of time. I also found out that after Courtney breaks me in with my first few triathlon meets, Jossi will take over and be my guide for the rest of my career if I wish it. I also got invited by Coach Shannon (also a member of the Church), to come down and train with her and her team in Utah for blocks of time. I’m so excited!
At the end of the camp, Courtney gave me her old cycling shoes that she had competed in at the World Championships. I was so grateful and overjoyed.
“I’m sorry they’re all beat up and nasty,” she said, “They probably smell bad and -“
“THIS IS THE BEST GIFT I’VE EVER GOTTEN!” I cried, “This is the best week of my life!!”
It was very special for sure. Definitely a lot of miracles involved. Who knew that most the triathletes are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was a miracle to me!
We may go through challenges, but God puts people who love us in our lives. He puts us in families that can be together forever. I love the hymn “Families Can be Together Forever.” The words are so special and heartfelt. Families are a manifestation of God’s love. We are all done and daughters of Heavenly Parents, and one day we can return to live with them again with our loved ones around us. I’m so grateful to have my Triathlon family. I was able to feel so much love in the sport and it’s made me even more grateful for my parents, my siblings, the rest of my family, my friends, and ALL my loved ones. I can testify to you that the Savior loves all His children. He loves you and you are never alone. God will never leave us comfortless. We can always remember Him, lean on those we love and trust, and come unto Christ.
I invite you to do something kind for a friend or family member this week. Tell them how much you appreciate them and how much you love them. That’s all for now! I can’t wait to update you on more adventures!
This last week there was a camp at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center. When I got home, I met my temporary roommate who would be staying with me for the week while she attended the training camp. Her name was Beth, an ex military girl who had been in the Marines. She has a service dog named Cali, and they are both just the best. My good friend and teammate Jessica was here for the camp as well. We sat and talked while we ate lunch together and something she said impacted me greatly…As an elite athlete, there’s a lot of pressure to make teams. In order to make a team, you must hit a specific standard by running a certain time or jumping/throwing a certain distance. For me personally, it’s been extremely difficult to believe in myself. I constantly feel like I’m on the bubble, that I might not make it, and if I do make it that I’ll be the last one selected. I’ve sometimes felt like everyone else is comfortable already hitting standard, while I am stuck stressing over if I’ll be able to make standard or not. Focusing on this too much has decreased my love for the sport and it’s been difficult to not measure my self worth on whether I make a team or not. I opened up to my friend Jessica about this at lunch and being the living person she is, she talked me down. “I think a lot of us feel that pressure,” she said, “you’re not the only one! Wanna know what my husband said?” “What did he say?” I asked. She proceeded to tell me that her husband had told her that worrying about who makes the team is not important. Worrying about making the team yourself isn’t important. Right now, the team is undecided! It is a blank sheet of paper! When you’re concerned about others making the team, you’re already writing names onto that blank sheet of paper when it isn’t even your job to do so in the first place. All you need to do is write your name down. To do that, all you need to do is give it your all, and not worry about if you’re going to make it or if so-and-so is going to make it. You do your best, and God will do the rest. If you make it, it’s wonderful, and if you don’t it will still be ok! There are so many opportunities and it’s important to never give up. Your sport is not your worth. Not making a team doesn’t make you any less of a person. It’s all about the journey!
I telephoned my mom soon afterward and she was impressed with what my teammate has shared.
“Taylor,” she said, “that is so cool that she shared that with you. You should tape a blank sheet of paper on your wall to remind you of what she said!”
I thought it was an awesome idea! So, I taped a blank sheet of paper on my door. Each time I leave the room to go train, I miss my fingertips and then smack the paper. I will do this for the rest of my career. I can’t wait for someone to ask the question, “Taylor, why do you have a blank piece of paper randomly taped to your door?” I will have a special story to tell.
Basing self worth on accomplishments, outcomes, and status can have negative effects. Our self-worth isn’t measured on how many awards we’ve won, or holding a prestigious or non-prestigious office, or the trials we are experiencing. Self worth comes from knowing who we truly are and how God sees us. When we know our divine identity and purpose, we stop comparing ourselves to others. We stop worrying about whether so-and-so over there is better than us, or that we’re better than that-person-with-the-face over here. Instead we know who we are, where we’re going, and who we want to become. We are beloved sons and daughters of heavenly parents. We are each blessed with unique talents, gifts, and abilities that make us special in the eyes of God. We are here on this journey through mortality to experience the joys and pains of life. We are here so that one day we can grow and progress to ultimately become like God himself and be joint heirs with Christ to gain exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom of glory.
So… next time you find yourself comparing yourself to someone else… STOP. It can be difficult sometimes. Everyone makes mistakes, but it’s important to never ever compare your trials, or experiences, or abilities with anyone else on this earth. Focus on you. Focus on writing your own name down on that blank sheet of paper. We do our best in this mortal life, and Christ will make up the difference. We are here to become better than ourselves by centering our focus on the Savior.
Cheers to another week! Be sure to keep me updated on everything in your lives. Much love!
