My Dad taught at West Point in the mid eighties so I spent 3 years of high school living at the Academy. Even as a high school student, it was inspiring to see these men and women come to West Point and go through their 4 years. It’s even more amazing to think that there are a group of them that have the drive to want to compete in triathlon at a high level given all of the other things they have to do and go through. I remember hearing the marching chants at 5am when the new class of Plebes started each year and thinking that was only the beginning of a long day for them. The Academy is hard enough without adding a demanding sport like triathlon in the mix. So kudos to all of them for working that much harder. Great stuff… thanks for the story.
Yup, great article. Being local I get to train and race up there. In October a bunch of them came to The TOGA duathlon in Rockland County and took 8 of the top 10 spots. Nicholas Vandam beat his nearest competitor by 3 minutes! He’s some athlete and I expect he’ll do well at nationals. Even better is to see them hang around, root each other on, and talk shop with the locals.
Humble and respectful. Something you don’t see enough of these days.
GO ARMY, BEAT NAVY!
Go Navy!!!
I don’t know if West Point is this way, but I knew a cadet at the Air Force Academy years ago. One of the requirements to staying there, beyond a certain grade point average, was to be on a varsity sport. Can’t make the team? Out of the academy.
No, that’s not the way it is. You just have to do some sort of extracurricular activity, you don’t have to make a varsity team. Seasonal intramurals, club sports teams, or even a marching band club would suffice. Service academies are difficult, but we’re not all NCAA athletes!
Vandam was a pretty damn good HS athlete and triathlete from around here…great to see him doing so well.
Thanks. My friend (a cadet) either miscommunicated, or I misunderstood.
Every cadet is an “athlete” but not all are on varsity teams. The triathlon team wasn’t as well known when I was there, but it’s great to see that it’s getting the attention it deserves.
They weren’t joking about the “super type-A” personalities!
USMA 04
When I was at Royal Military College of Canada, we started the triathlon team in 1986 and got varsity status in 1987 even though there was no university “league to race in”. We came back in August and caught the end of the local race season and flew the school colours, somewhat as a recruiting tool to show that cadets could kick ass.
In Sep and Oct we’d do some races in the North East US and raced a bunch of West Point guys and Gals at the Big Apple “biathlon” in central park. Good times. It is pretty cool cause moving from those early days in the late 80’s the Canadian Armed Forces started triathlon competition and an Armed Forces National Team. We competed in the first Military Games in Rome in 1995 as part of the CISM World Military Games. It was ultra cool. Servicemen from all over the world competing in the “military olympics”. In the 1995 triathlon competition we were competing against guys like Dmitri Gaag, Olivier Marceau, Norman Stadler and Thomas Hellriegel, all on obligatory military service from their own countries. Some of you will know Doug Morocco who was on US team composed of guys and gals from all 4 services.
Glad to see that triathlon is still part of the military culture. I know some of the Canadian servicemen just came back from a triathlon training camp in Colorado Springs…and of course my old Military Teammate LCol Tony O’Keeffe keeps posting those sub 10 Ironmans (18 years in a row at IMC…) and multiple 2nd overall races at Ultraman Hawaii…he’s heading back for another crack at solo RAAM this summer! Tony is also Director of Cadets at RMC today, so the cadets have no room to slack off cause the guy who is the 2ic for the Commandant will kick their collective asses.
Dev
So I’m sitting in Iraq looking at the slide show of West Point Tri which is very interesting to me. Then…
On the last picture on the slide show with the Tri-All Americans threw me for a loop. WTF? That’s not Heidi Grimm that’s my wife! A lesser phenomenal triathlete than LTC Grimm.
I thought someone was playing a joke or something. I still do! That’s so freakin funny I can’t believe it. She wasn’t even at WP when Heidi was there. How did that happen?
Can’t help with the picture but glad you got a laugh and just want to wish you well and thank you for your service.
Keep up the good work and be well.
Without diminishing the accomplishments of these fine young men and women, something from my past gives me a jaded view of the USMA teams. When I was in college, a long time ago, my track team competed in-league with Army. I recall going to West Point for our outdoor league championships and also an indoor meet (we drove about 4 hours to get there before the meet, and drove home in the bus that night). What struck me, and was confirmed by an Army athlete, was the fine, new condition of their equipment. Turns out that they got new stuff (shoes, uniforms, poles, etc.) every year. There were my tax dollars at work. I had to buy my own high jump shoes my senior year (I used my high school shoe (singular) the first three years); my team captain’s shoes were falling apart by the time he graduated (he was a 24’ long jumper and a 50’+ triple jumper); I had one or maybe two sets of old warmups for my four years. Only our NCAA-finals 4x100 team members had new stuff, as they were sponsored by Nike or Adidas or something. I suspect the Army track team never had to sleep three-to-a-bed as I did on occasion, nor take the ridiculous road trips stuffed in coaches’ cars or the university van that once broke down in East Nowhere, PA coming back from North Carolina.
Without diminishing the accomplishments of these fine young men and women, something from my past gives me a jaded view of the USMA teams. When I was in college, a long time ago, my track team competed in-league with Army. I recall going to West Point for our outdoor league championships and also an indoor meet (we drove about 4 hours to get there before the meet, and drove home in the bus that night). What struck me, and was confirmed by an Army athlete, was the fine, new condition of their equipment. Turns out that they got new stuff (shoes, uniforms, poles, etc.) every year. There were my tax dollars at work. I had to buy my own high jump shoes my senior year (I used my high school shoe (singular) the first three years); my team captain’s shoes were falling apart by the time he graduated (he was a 24’ long jumper and a 50’+ triple jumper); I had one or maybe two sets of old warmups for my four years. Only our NCAA-finals 4x100 team members had new stuff, as they were sponsored by Nike or Adidas or something. I suspect the Army track team never had to sleep three-to-a-bed as I did on occasion, nor take the ridiculous road trips stuffed in coaches’ cars or the university van that once broke down in East Nowhere, PA coming back from North Carolina.
Yeah, and in exchange for all that fancy-ass equipment all they had to do was commit to 5 years of service to the country. Currently, that service is highly likely to be “in harm’s way” for a significant portion. If I guess your age correctly, the same was true then.
And in exchange for never having to sleep three-to-a-bed before a track meet, they get to sleep two to a foxhole as shells rain down upon them. What a deal!!
Fuck your falling apart shoes.
Go Navy!!!
http://www.usna.edu/Triathlon/Home.html
As the great Al Cantello (Navy’s XC Head Coach) once said before a track meet, “Army?! I’d rather lose a war than fight on the same side as those bastards!!”
Go Navy.
Without diminishing the accomplishments of these fine young men and women, something from my past gives me a jaded view of the USMA teams. When I was in college, a long time ago, my track team competed in-league with Army. I recall going to West Point for our outdoor league championships and also an indoor meet (we drove about 4 hours to get there before the meet, and drove home in the bus that night). What struck me, and was confirmed by an Army athlete, was the fine, new condition of their equipment. Turns out that they got new stuff (shoes, uniforms, poles, etc.) every year. There were my tax dollars at work. I had to buy my own high jump shoes my senior year (I used my high school shoe (singular) the first three years); my team captain’s shoes were falling apart by the time he graduated (he was a 24’ long jumper and a 50’+ triple jumper); I had one or maybe two sets of old warmups for my four years. Only our NCAA-finals 4x100 team members had new stuff, as they were sponsored by Nike or Adidas or something. I suspect the Army track team never had to sleep three-to-a-bed as I did on occasion, nor take the ridiculous road trips stuffed in coaches’ cars or the university van that once broke down in East Nowhere, PA coming back from North Carolina.
I suspect your track team didn’t serve in the armed forces after they left college. How many of these men and women are sleeping in a bunk in hostile environments; how many of them may end up wonded and never have the chance to compete again. Sleeping 3 in a bed or a rough road trip doesn’t seem to bad. These young athletes have decided to put their life on the line to protect or freedoms and you are upset because your tax dollors are buying them new uniforms. Get over it.
Stop being jaded because of the past and keep in mind what those kids do when they graduate.
Brian
Without diminishing the accomplishments of these fine young men and women, something from my past gives me a jaded view of the USMA teams. When I was in college, a long time ago, my track team competed in-league with Army. I recall going to West Point for our outdoor league championships and also an indoor meet (we drove about 4 hours to get there before the meet, and drove home in the bus that night). What struck me, and was confirmed by an Army athlete, was the fine, new condition of their equipment. Turns out that they got new stuff (shoes, uniforms, poles, etc.) every year. There were my tax dollars at work. I had to buy my own high jump shoes my senior year (I used my high school shoe (singular) the first three years); my team captain’s shoes were falling apart by the time he graduated (he was a 24’ long jumper and a 50’+ triple jumper); I had one or maybe two sets of old warmups for my four years. Only our NCAA-finals 4x100 team members had new stuff, as they were sponsored by Nike or Adidas or something. I suspect the Army track team never had to sleep three-to-a-bed as I did on occasion, nor take the ridiculous road trips stuffed in coaches’ cars or the university van that once broke down in East Nowhere, PA coming back from North Carolina.
Yeah, and in exchange for all that fancy-ass equipment all they had to do was commit to 5 years of service to the country. Currently, that service is highly likely to be “in harm’s way” for a significant portion. If I guess your age correctly, the same was true then.
And in exchange for never having to sleep three-to-a-bed before a track meet, they get to sleep two to a foxhole as shells rain down upon them. What a deal!!
Fuck your falling apart shoes.
Exactly!!
Thanks for saying that.
Without diminishing the accomplishments of these fine young men and women, something from my past gives me a jaded view of the USMA teams. When I was in college, a long time ago, my track team competed in-league with Army. I recall going to West Point for our outdoor league championships and also an indoor meet (we drove about 4 hours to get there before the meet, and drove home in the bus that night). What struck me, and was confirmed by an Army athlete, was the fine, new condition of their equipment. Turns out that they got new stuff (shoes, uniforms, poles, etc.) every year. There were my tax dollars at work. I had to buy my own high jump shoes my senior year (I used my high school shoe (singular) the first three years); my team captain’s shoes were falling apart by the time he graduated (he was a 24’ long jumper and a 50’+ triple jumper); I had one or maybe two sets of old warmups for my four years. Only our NCAA-finals 4x100 team members had new stuff, as they were sponsored by Nike or Adidas or something. I suspect the Army track team never had to sleep three-to-a-bed as I did on occasion, nor take the ridiculous road trips stuffed in coaches’ cars or the university van that once broke down in East Nowhere, PA coming back from North Carolina.
I suspect your track team didn’t serve in the armed forces after they left college. How many of these men and women are sleeping in a bunk in hostile environments; how many of them may end up wonded and never have the chance to compete again. Sleeping 3 in a bed or a rough road trip doesn’t seem to bad. These young athletes have decided to put their life on the line to protect or freedoms and you are upset because your tax dollors are buying them new uniforms. Get over it.
Stop being jaded because of the past and keep in mind what those kids do when they graduate.
Brian
My cousin is a West point grad and he is now in Afghanistan flying evac missions in some type of copter. I would take sleeping on a concrete floor over that any day of the week.
Go Navy Beat Army!
USNA 1997
Without diminishing the accomplishments of these fine young men and women, something from my past gives me a jaded view of the USMA teams. When I was in college, a long time ago, my track team competed in-league with Army. I recall going to West Point for our outdoor league championships and also an indoor meet (we drove about 4 hours to get there before the meet, and drove home in the bus that night). What struck me, and was confirmed by an Army athlete, was the fine, new condition of their equipment. Turns out that they got new stuff (shoes, uniforms, poles, etc.) every year. There were my tax dollars at work. I had to buy my own high jump shoes my senior year (I used my high school shoe (singular) the first three years); my team captain’s shoes were falling apart by the time he graduated (he was a 24’ long jumper and a 50’+ triple jumper); I had one or maybe two sets of old warmups for my four years. Only our NCAA-finals 4x100 team members had new stuff, as they were sponsored by Nike or Adidas or something. I suspect the Army track team never had to sleep three-to-a-bed as I did on occasion, nor take the ridiculous road trips stuffed in coaches’ cars or the university van that once broke down in East Nowhere, PA coming back from North Carolina.
Actually, I think you would find that none of your tax dollars went to buy them new equipment. Tax dollars may go to support some of the intramural athletics but I think all the varsity stuff has a separate funding source. I went to the Naval Academy and the varsity teams were supported by the Naval Academy Athletic Association. And, we graduates are always getting hit up for donations to support a new sailing center, etc. Just got a letter in the mail asking for donations to build a new rowing center. Tax dollars don’t support any of that, including team travel, as far as I know.
Without diminishing the accomplishments of these fine young men and women, something from my past gives me a jaded view of the USMA teams. When I was in college, a long time ago, my track team competed in-league with Army. I recall going to West Point for our outdoor league championships and also an indoor meet (we drove about 4 hours to get there before the meet, and drove home in the bus that night). What struck me, and was confirmed by an Army athlete, was the fine, new condition of their equipment. Turns out that they got new stuff (shoes, uniforms, poles, etc.) every year. There were my tax dollars at work. I had to buy my own high jump shoes my senior year (I used my high school shoe (singular) the first three years); my team captain’s shoes were falling apart by the time he graduated (he was a 24’ long jumper and a 50’+ triple jumper); I had one or maybe two sets of old warmups for my four years. Only our NCAA-finals 4x100 team members had new stuff, as they were sponsored by Nike or Adidas or something. I suspect the Army track team never had to sleep three-to-a-bed as I did on occasion, nor take the ridiculous road trips stuffed in coaches’ cars or the university van that once broke down in East Nowhere, PA coming back from North Carolina.
Yeah, and in exchange for all that fancy-ass equipment all they had to do was commit to 5 years of service to the country. Currently, that service is highly likely to be “in harm’s way” for a significant portion. If I guess your age correctly, the same was true then.
And in exchange for never having to sleep three-to-a-bed before a track meet, they get to sleep two to a foxhole as shells rain down upon them. What a deal!!
All true and all irrelevant. Who pissed in your cereal this morning? Who denigrated their commitment to our country?