Because Of Cortney

Last Saturday April 13, 2024 I FINALLY was able to do check a triathlon off a bucket list that I created sometime back in 2010. Being able to start my momentous and celebratory 20th Season in the sport I LOVE by completing the Setup Events NC Tri Series Pinehurst International Distance Triathlon was a dream come true. The real reason I added this triathlon to a bucket list was because of Cortney and our long lasting friendship. Below is the story of how we met and what it took to meet each other in real life.

Race Dedication for the NC Tri Series Pinehurst International Distance Triathlon

In 2002 I met Cortney online but in a way most may not even know existed. I met her through a common interest we shared which was figure skating. It was around the time of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. There was a Canadian Pairs Figure Skating Couple named Jamie Sale and David Pelletier who many loved. Back in the days there was a fan (web)site for Jamie and David as well as a Fan Forum to chat about different topics about Jamie and David and figure skating. I met Cortney on this fan forum. Our relationship bloomed and we chatted more once a scandal involving Jamie and David, the Russian Figure Skating Couple (Elena and Anton), the French judge (don't remember her name) and a Gold Medal headlined the 2002 Winter Games. I don't remember who messaged who first but it really doesn't matter at this point. After just chatting online all the time; we talked on this brand new thing called a cell phone but only after 9 pm when calls were free. She lived in Seven Lakes NC and I was still in the Dallas TX area. I hadn't even thought about getting into triathlons when cell phone conversations became a thing. We talked about figure skating, gymnastics, our American Girl Dolls, and Build A Bear. Meanwhile; in 2004 I had been bitten deep by the triathlon bug and started this blog in 2007 to document my journey in preparation for my first full iron distance  in 2008. It was in 2010 when I had moved back to the Washington DC area; where I spent the first 13 years of my childhood I wrote 4 blog posts listing triathlons all over the US that I wanted to complete. As I was planning out how I wanted to start my 2024 Triathlon Season sometime in the middle of 2023; a lightbulb went off in my head. After countless failed attempts; I found the perfect way to meet Cortney by signing up for the Pinehurst Triathlon which had been on a bucket list blog post in 2010.

Meeting Cortney In Real Life 

Once I signed up for Pinehurst and obviously told Cortney about it; months of planning had begun. It was a week ago I made the drive to Seven Lakes NC from Silver Spring MD to FINALLY meet Cortney or as I called it "Operation Sqeeze Cortney's Brains Out". I didn't hit much traffic on my drive from MD into VA and into NC; which included 3 bathroom stops (with 1 combined rest and lunch stop). This was the first time I've ever driven south of Richmond on I-95 by myself so that was big. I texted Cortney when I stopped each time to give her ETA updates. Once I got past Raleigh NC I only had about an hour remaining. The anticipation of getting to meet my longest to date friendship was so close and I just wanted to be done driving as well. As I drove through the development where she and her parents lived; I remember seeing Cortney holding Angel (the cute dog in the photo but don't remember what breed) and immediately thought about Sadie (the Jack Russel I never got to meet but saw photos of and heard all about). She looked exactly as she did in photos and sounded exactly like she did on the phone but she was real and I was an emotional mess. The moment both of us had waited for 22 years was a reality.