Very good point indeed. In my mind, the line between being a pro or a good age grouper is super vague. There is no such system where top AG’ers promote to the pro category and slow pro’s go back to the AG category. Maybe your national federation can take your pro license back after you under performed for a long time but I haven’t heard stories like that before.
99% of the people who race under a pro license don’t make money because of triathlon, so chasing a pro status because of the money wouldn’t be my choice. Also, when you are getting your pro license, you also need to travel more to compete with the best athletes. In my area there are also triathlons with an open category where pro’s and AG’ers compete in the same field. If you are a top AG’er, this is ideal to test yourself without the hassle of traveling a lot. But Getting your pro license to just race some local triathlons seems pointless to me.
In the end it’s all about maximizing your own potential, whatever the result may be. If someone has a nice job and loves to train a lot, but doesn’t want the lifestyle of traveling a lot, why would he want a pro license then? Nobody is stopping you doing 4:00:00 on a 70.3. A license or status isn’t limiting or improving your performance. The only thing that matters are the hours and the quality that you put in. You are a pro athlete when you can make a living out of it. Otherwise you’re an elite amateur, which is also great.
99% of the people who race under a pro license don’t make money because of triathlon, so chasing a pro status because of the money wouldn’t be my choice. Also, when you are getting your pro license, you also need to travel more to compete with the best athletes. In my area there are also triathlons with an open category where pro’s and AG’ers compete in the same field. If you are a top AG’er, this is ideal to test yourself without the hassle of traveling a lot. But Getting your pro license to just race some local triathlons seems pointless to me.
In the end it’s all about maximizing your own potential, whatever the result may be. If someone has a nice job and loves to train a lot, but doesn’t want the lifestyle of traveling a lot, why would he want a pro license then? Nobody is stopping you doing 4:00:00 on a 70.3. A license or status isn’t limiting or improving your performance. The only thing that matters are the hours and the quality that you put in. You are a pro athlete when you can make a living out of it. Otherwise you’re an elite amateur, which is also great.