This year in Kona, keep your eye out for a great age grouper who QUALIFIED for the Ironman World Championships in Idaho with a time of 10:08, ranking 40th overall – Christophe Joly. Chris sent me an e-mail a while ago with some links.
He may very well be our sports best electronic scrapbook journalist – check out his scrapbooks from his triathlon journey here – the photos are worth the scroll.
And remember -- we have a responsibility to pass on what we have discovered in this sport of triathlon. Chris also posted a great story from his qualification experience here.
E-Mail From: Christophe Joly
Dear Mitch,
I enjoyed very much reading your Starting Lines article in the February issue of Triathlete Magazine. It was right on; "Success is not defined only by a dollar sign." Living in Silicon Valley, dollars are too often the sign of success, at least on the surface, until you realize that 
your me-too neighbor is getting a divorce, or selling the house because of debt, or even worst, doesn't connect with his children as they grow up. I have two daughters and a wife. Yes, dollars are important, especially when houses around sell for $1 million on average! But after starting triathlon in 2002, I realized just like you said, there is more to success than just dollars. In 2004, I crashed badly on the Ironman Coeur D'Alene bike course, only to qualify to Ironman Hawaii later this same year with my family supporting me all the time, and of course, making the trip to the Big Island. Nothing, not even money, will ever beat the sense of success and achievement I've got this year.
So thank you again for a great article. But then, and only after reading it, I noticed the guy in the picture looks familiar. Sure, it was me :-) at the Vineman 2005. What a coincidence!!!
Sincerely,
Christophe
