As a journalist, I have the opportunity to interview some pretty incredible people. Recently, I caught up with pro triathlete, Jocelyn McCauley, to interview her for an article in Triathlete Magazine. The article- Would You Give up a World Championship Because of Religion?– focused on her decision to give up the slot she received by placing third at 2023 Ironman Florida.
Her podium finish meant that she received an invitation to compete at the all-female Ironman World Championship in Nice, France. But, the race falls on a Sunday this year, and she doesn’t race, or train, on Sundays.
Jocelyn is very open and honest about her faith. She’s a Christian, a Mormon, and follower of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
She explains that there was a time, in high school, when she did train on Sundays. “I’d go on these really long runs out in nature. It’s the church of the long run. I’m out in God’s creation soaking up the energy, and I loved it,” she says.
Then, she started running with the BYU cross-country team. It’s a program that’s as well-known for its cross-country dominance as it is for their decision not to compete on Sundays. “During my senior year of high school, I went from walking on the team to earning a full scholarship. I took 35-40 seconds off my mile PR and all different things. In my mind, God was helping me with these amazing physical achievements. I felt as though if I ever competed on a Sunday, it would be like closing the door in his face,” she says.
That was a long time ago, and Jocelyn is now a professional triathlete, but she’s still stuck with her decision not to race, or train, on Sunday. Jocelyn is very clear; she’s not saying it’s something everyone has to do. There are plenty of athletes who are religious and they do train and compete on Sundays. She spoke in the article about it simply being a personal decision about how she chooses to honor the Sabbath day.
But there’s an added layer of complexity, because Jocelyn is a professional athlete. Triathlon is what she does for a living, to help support her family, and she also has sponsor obligations. She’s saying no to a lot of money by not competing at a World Championship. It’s also a matter of pride and accomplishment. It takes dedication, hard work, and commitment (sprinkled with a bit of luck) to deliver a performance that will help you qualify for a World Championship slot. She’s turned down 70.3 World Championship slots in the past, but there’s something about an Ironman World Championship that’s a bit different.
But sometimes, a decision you make can cause a domino effect that affects the lives of those around you. That’s what happened when Jocelyn stood on the stage at Ironman FL and said no to accepting her slot. The slot then passed down to fourth place- to a very excited Erin Snelgrove. As it turned out, Erin had qualified for Kona in 2022, but had to turn her spot down because it conflicted with the date of her wedding. It was a full circle moment. “I think that’s why we all love the roll-down ceremony, right? It was so cool to be able to do that,” Jocelyn says.
Faith provides perspective
Turning down the slot was the attention-getting aspect of the story, but I wanted to go deeper. I wanted to know if Jocelyn’s faith impacts her journey as an athlete. Does it change the mindset around how she approaches training and racing? Does it help to provide perspective when dealing with a disappointing race or a bad training day?
“I’ve always said that I have different spokes in my wheel that help me round out myself as a human,” she says. “Triathlon is a spoke, being a mom, being a wife, and my faith are all spokes. I have all these different things in my life that give me energy and purpose, so it helps when one spoke might get a bit broken.”
But there’s one thing that helps keep everything in perspective. “I know I’m a child of God, and that’s the most important thing in my life. If something in triathlon isn’t going quite as I’d like it to, with my athletic identity, I can fall back on my divine identity,” she says.
However, she admits she has her “triathlon is stupid” days as much as anyone else.
Living your truth
There’s something to be said for being so steadfast in your convictions that it not only influences how you act, but also how you treat other people. Recently, the PTO posted a video clip of Jocelyn being lapped by Taylor Knibb at the PTO US Open in Milwaukee. I remember watching that race with my husband and seeing Jocelyn shout something at Taylor. She was cheering on her competitor… in the middle of a race.
“That embodies triathlon,” she says. “Because of being open and sharing my faith, it kind of creates this Christian triathlon community around me, and I love it. If I’m living my truth openly, it gives other people the opportunity to do the same, whether that’s a Christian or something else. I’m happy to honor all walks of life.”
Jocelyn recalls being in Kona on an all-female pro panel. The commentator asked the ladies to talk about their “why.” Jocelyn was quick to jump in. “I explained that I believe I’ve been given certain gifts from God, and I use triathlon as a way to share them. Then, every single one of the women on the panel shared about their Christian faith. Two women even came up to me afterwards and said they were so glad I said something; because if I hadn’t, they wouldn’t have felt comfortable being open about their faith in that way.”
That’s why Jocelyn is so open about what she believes. By living her truth and sharing about her faith, she encourages others to do the same.
I could end this post right here. But I was able to interview another incredible person for that same article, and there’s so much about his story that’s worth telling.
Words of wisdom from a triathlete, and a preacher
35-year-old Troy Rogers is a triathlete and a preacher. He lives in Oklahoma and serves at the Northwest Church of Christ in Lawton. He’s been competing in triathlons since 2019, and it’s something he thoroughly believes has enhanced his ministry. “When you’re passionate about something, or feel the weight of its importance, as I do with my ministry, if you don’t manage it carefully, what you once loved can become a burden and a source of stress,” he says. Although he’s talking about his calling as a preacher, I’m sure many of us can say the same thing about triathlon.
“Triathlon, specifically full distance racing, changes you. It makes you stronger, and at the same time, more appreciative of the life you’ve been given. One of the struggles many people face in their life and faith is being discontent. A good way to battle that is to put your phone away, get outside, and swim in the lake, ride your bike, and run around the park,” he says.
“With that being said, any triathlete will tell you it’s very easy to allow the sport to consume your life. My ministry helps remind me that there are things that matter more than training and racing.”
Rogers explains that our bodies matter, and how we care for them is important. “Many find they’re able to have a deeper connection with their faith when they care for the body that God gave them. Triathlon and faith aren’t two separate items that I try to compartmentalize and balance. They compliment each other, and I hope in doing so, they make me a better man.”
Again, you could stop reading right here, but if you keep going, you will learn why a woman turned down the highest honor in triathlon, and why she did it.
Why I turned down my Kona slot
55-year-old Miriam Cole of Illinois first heard about triathlon when she was 38. At that point, she had an 8-year-old, two 6-year-olds, a 4-year-old, and a 2-year-old. When the youngest went off to preschool for a few hours a day, she found time to train for her first sprint triathlon- an all female race. “I had zero athletic background. I cried when I crossed the finish line and, like many, I became hooked: pushing to become better, faster, and go longer,” she says.
At the age of 42, she qualified for Kona by winning her age group at Ironman Wisconsin. She happily accepted her slot, paid her entry fee, and then looked at the calendar… The date of Kona in 2011 was going to be October 8th, the second Saturday of the month, and Yom Kippur.
For those not familiar with the Jewish faith, Yom Kippur is the “Day of Atonement,” a day when followers ask forgiveness for their shortcomings and resolve to be better human beings in the year to come. As a way to aid in this introspection, followers don’t eat or drink anything for 24 hours. Just prayer and meditation.
Miriam explains that her father is Israeli, and while his parents escaped Eastern Europe ahead of WWII, their entire families were killed by Nazis in the early 1940s, many of them at Auschwitz. Cole remembers a childhood that was rich in Jewish tradition. She was taught to speak Hebrew and learned much of the Torah. Her children went to Jewish day school, and she keeps a kosher house.
To her, the most important part of her faith is that it connects her to the past. “It’s the honor and respect I feel towards my parents and grandparents, and all the Jews who came before me, who believed and practiced as I do, and many of whom died because of these very beliefs,” she says.
It’s also about the basic principles of goodness, fairness, and compassion. “Give charity. Show compassion to all. Judge no one. Treat others how you’d like to be treated. Stand up for the little guy. Be a leader. Do what’s right even if no one else is. Be true to your beliefs, even when it’s hard to,” she says. She feels that last one would’ve meant nothing at all if she would’ve accepted her slot for Kona.
But that doesn’t mean the decision was easy. Miriam actually wrote to Ironman and requested they change the date of the race… She laughs now saying it was a bit naive. While they refused her request, they did refund her entry fee.
Since 2010, Miriam qualified for Kona eight times and has raced on the Big Island five times- the last time in 2018. To this day, she still competes in 70.3 and Olympic triathlons, but she won’t race on Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, or the week of Passover.
For Jocelyn, Troy, and Miriam, triathlon is an integral part of their lives, but so is their faith. Through their words and actions, they provide a valuable reminder to us all. That whatever we think, and believe, should be shown in our actions and how we choose to live our lives.
