That Triathlon Life Gives Back

It’s awesome to see pro triathletes giving back where they can. Which is why when we saw that pros Eric Lagerstrom and Paula Findlay announced their development athlete initiative, That Triathlon Life Development team, we had to get the full story.

How long has the TTL development team been in the works? 

This is a concept we’ve been thinking about for years but were unsure how to execute it. We’ve really wanted to offer TTL kits for sale but wanted to do it in a meaningful way that could give back to the triathlon community in some way. About a month ago we decided we’d bite the bullet, design some kits, and create a template for what this could look like. We decided that supporting 5 development athletes was feasible in our first year, and we’re using sales of TTL kits to help fund the team.

Is there a specific moment or memory in either of your careers that’s influenced the creation of the team?

We both had really different experiences in becoming pros, I (Paula) had success at a young age so there weren’t many barriers to entry, but Eric really had to grind, working part-time in a bike shop, to make the jump. We appreciate that it’s even harder now to bridge the gap between becoming a professional triathlete and being able to make it a sustainable career. So based on our experiences and what we’ve observed, we figured we could help in a small way.

What is one piece of triathlon career advice you would give your younger self?

Paula: be serious, but not too serious. It’s ok to stop along the way to enjoy the success and adventures, and not just power ahead to the next goal every time something great happens. Otherwise, you might blink and miss all the good stuff.

Eric: Immerse yourself in the process and don’t be too stressed about where you are relative to where you hope to be. Triathlon tends to be a long journey as you build strength, build your brand, and build your team. It’s important to have that ultimate goal in mind but lose yourself in the daily process of doing the best you can with what’s right in front of you. The next time you look around to see where you’re at, you’ll probably like what you see.

The current media environment can be overwhelming for athletes. Do you have specific principles for balancing training and contenting™️?

We are both fortunate in that we really enjoy the content creation side of the sport, we have artistic genes that get to shine a bit when we aren’t swim / bike / running. But for someone who isn’t as keen on the media side, we’d encourage you to be authentic and not force anything. That’s what people can truly relate to, the highs, the lows, and the unfiltered reality of your journey. The content doesn’t need to be overly curated or beautiful, just post what is authentic to you without trying too hard ;)

What’s your vision for the TTL development team? Further expansion?

Our bandwidth this year is a bit limited, and we really want the athletes that we select to have a personal connection to us, so they can message us, ask for advice, and we can truly make an impact in helping them. For this reason, we like the idea of keeping it a bit smaller and not expanding to a big team, but we are still in the grassroots phase and anything could happen!

What does a successful first year of the development team look like?

We would consider year one a success if the athletes we select feel they have been supported and have grown in a professional sense. This doesn’t mean they have to win every race, but if they feel like they have a more clear pathway toward making a living as an athlete, we’ll be really happy. Personally, our hope is that this year will be a proof of concept, and in year two we can offer more support, maybe bring some additional partners on board to assist with the product, and have more impact.

Will a head-to-head ball chase with Flynn be a requirement for attending the development team camp in Bend?

Flynn-sitting COULD be a requirement for being selected to the team. He is not picky about who takes him for his activities.

How can people follow and support the team?

Following @Thattriathlonlife on Instagram is the best way to keep up to date on what’s going on, and supporting the team can be as small as watching our videos, listening to our podcast and following our social media, or as big as buying a TTL kit to race or train in this season! The proceeds from these will feed directly back into the Devo team, so you are guaranteed to make a difference.