362 - Champions Through Adversity: Vincent Luis & Paula Findlay on Performance and Purpose
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Welcome to the Purple Patch Podcast!
On this episode, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon hosts a re-airing of a fireside chat with Vincent Luis and Paula Findlay, two top Professional Triathletes, at the Purple Patch Performance Center in San Francisco. The Night of Champions event supports the Challenged Athletes Foundation, which provides opportunities for individuals with physical challenges. Vincent and Paula discuss their journeys, handling pressure, and adversity. Vincent shares his experiences at the Olympics, including his struggles and the resilience he demonstrated. Paula talks about her career, including her success at Daytona and her plans for future races. Both emphasize the importance of coaching and mentorship in their careers. The event raised $14,000 for the Challenge Athletes Foundation.
If you have any questions about the Purple Patch program, feel free to reach out at info@purplepatchfitness.com.
Episode Timecodes:
00-3:22 Show Promo
3:30-6:04 Matt Dixon Intro
6:05-8:32 Bob Babitt Remarks
9:09-12:19 Intro of Vincent Luis and Paula Findlay
12:30 Start of Q&A with Vincent Luis and Paula Findlay
Purple Patch and Episode Resources
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Challenges Athletes Foundation:
website - challengedathletes.org
Instagram - @cafoundation
T100:
website - t100triathlon.com
Instagram - @t100triathlon
Vincent Luis: Instagram - @vincentluistri
Paula Findlay: Instagram - @paula_findlay
Bob Babbitt: Instagram - @babbittville
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Transcription
Matt Dixon 00:00
And welcome to the Purple Patch podcast as ever your host, Matt Dixon, and today I am finding myself at home, so I'm going to do this introduction for something very, very special, because today we are bringing you something really unique. This episode is a re airing of a fireside chat that I had with two of the most successful and quite frankly inspiring professional triathletes in the world, their names Vincent Luis from France and Paula Finley from Canada. We recorded this as a part of our night that we had at the Performance Center in San Francisco in conjunction with the t1 100 race at Alcatraz. What an event that was it was labeled the Night of Champions, an evening celebrating resilience, performance and, of course, community, all in support of a wonderful organization that is incredibly close to Maya and Kelli heart, as well as the whole team at Purple Patch. That organization, the challenge Athletes Foundation, or caf, as they often refer to if you're unfamiliar with CEF, it's an extraordinary organization that provides opportunities and access, of course, to individuals with physical challenges so that they can enjoy and benefit from the power of sport, whether it's through adaptive equipment, Training Support. Cath helps kids and adults alike experience life changing power of movement, inclusion and competition. If you're inspired by this conversation, I encourage you to visit challenged athletes.org consider making a donation if you want a direct link, and then we're going to add it to the show notes so that you can go through the Purple Patch channel and enjoy giving them a gift through our evening of champions, even a small gift can open up sport to a child who otherwise wouldn't have the chance. The actual conversation with Paula and Vincent is incredibly intimate and so much fun. We had such a great time, but it's also deeply compelling. One of the things that I really wanted to talk to Vincent and Paula about were handling pressure, and particularly their journeys that included so much adversity. These are two of the top athletes in the world that burst onto the scene and stayed at the very top of sport for more than a decade, but they have not had to navigate so much personal challenge, and I'm incredibly grateful to them both for not just joining the event but sharing so openly. I think you're going to get a ton out of hearing their stories before we dive in one quick favor around the Purple Patch podcast, while 1000s of you tune in to this show every week. Do you know that only 24% of our listeners are actually subscribed to the show, that's right. And so if you find value listening to these episodes, subscribing is, in all honesty, the very best way that you can support us to ensure that not only do you not miss out on an episode, but also really helps us bring you better and better content, just like this conversation and so go ahead, hit that follow button, subscribe. It's really, really thankful from our point of view. All right, shall we dive in? I think so. It is a Night of Champions Vincent Luis and Paula Findlay, all in support of the challenge Athletes Foundation. Thanks for listening, and we'll be back to regular programming next week. Take care. I'm Matt Dixon, and welcome to the Purple Patch podcast. The mission of Purple Patch is to empower and educate every human being to reach their athletic potential. Through the lens of athletic potential, you reach your human potential. The purpose of this podcast is to help time starved people everywhere integrate sport into life.
Matt Dixon 03:54
Everyone, welcome to the second evening of champions, and this is now our second opportunity where we've combined a great opportunity with the t1 100, the PTO and the big Alcatraz event with us. I'm Matt Dixon from Purple Patch, and we're delighted to host this event for something that's really, really meaningful for us. We've been a partner of the challenge Athletes Foundation for many years. We've done several events and and this is our second evening of champions before we get going, and I introduce these two genuine champions that we have with us. Tonight, we're going to have a really social conversation, and you guys start charging up your questions as we go through because I'm going to open up the floor and make sure that you guys get to ask all the questions you want. But before we get going downstairs on the bike ride, which I think we raised just in that bike session in 45 minutes, I think we raised an extra $14,000 for the challenge Athletes Foundation and for you guys watching at home that were not live on that session. And the way that we did that is we asked an ex a Purple Patch athlete, Mohammed Lana, who is one of my favorite athletes I've ever had the opportunity to coach and a challenge athlete himself to hit his max power that he could 1001 watts with single leg. Well done. That's what we're saying, anyway. And and then what was genuinely accurate. Mr. Bob Babbitt, 182 revolutions per minute with one leg. That is pretty darn impressive. It's pretty fast. It's more than Vincent can do, although we'll find out.
05:36
Yeah, definitely it is. We'll
Matt Dixon 05:39
throw you under the bus many times tonight. But before we get going, I do want to, because he always insists to grab the microphone. I want to bring Bob Babbitt up here, and because we are very, very lucky to be joined with some Challenged Athletes tonight, some of which are going to be racing Alcatraz I hear. So I just want to give you a couple of moments turn to the camera to introduce them, please. Thank you
Bob Babbitt 06:01
very much again. How about a huge round of applause for Matt Dixon Purple Patch and for t1 100 PTO. So first of all, a gentleman who really created Caf San Francisco and Caf nor Cal grew up as a baloney amputee and was part of that world where the worst two letters in the alphabet were PE, never wanted to wear shorts, never wanted anybody to know what was going on. And Alan shank. And now has become a triathlete. He's a golfer. There's so so nothing that gets in his way. Plus he just had our celebration of heart gal up here that raised $1.16 million million dollars for the challenge Athletes Foundation, Alan shaken. All right, this woman who's going to be doing escape on Sunday, Iron Man ambassador, lost her arm at the age of 20 in a car accident. Good news is she's left handed in 2022 she received Guinness Book, a record for fastest female above knee, above arm amputee to finish Pikes Peak marathon, started triathlon 2017 and completed one full and 570 point threes give it up for PAM Wilson, all right. And 2018 summer after graduating college, AJ burst his fifth vertebrae in a diving accident resulting in incomplete spinal cord injury. Wheel ex wheelchair, rugged player, aspiring triathlete, currently also enjoying adaptive rowing. Last week, AJ graduated from Cal, Berkeley, the Masters in nutrition. Has big goals of entering sports nutrition space AJ shanoy, and we just call her Momo. She's a polio survivor from Southeast Asia, age 12, introduced to golf, been playing golf ever since. Learned about CF through Alan Shanken, and when they participate in adaptive CrossFit together, she CFS nor Cal regional on our Regional Council, helping to lead CFS adaptive golf program the Bay Area give it up for Momo. And of course, we mentioned Paralympic silver medalist, Paralympic bronze medalist. He did the marathon de Saab. He has the he's the only guy, only adaptive athlete, to finish the Norse Man Triathlon. Next year, he's gonna run across America. And of course, the most important thing. He's coached by Matt Dixon. Mohammed, wanna thank you all for your amazing support of caf and again, back to Matt Dixon.
Matt Dixon 08:31
We're here tonight, everyone. There's the thread that joins us tonight is a love of sport, and we've got two people next to me that compete at the very highest level of sport for many, many years, and I want to introduce them both, but before I do that love of sport that permeates through this room, that's really why we're here, because our mission is to try and open up access to People that are challenged in enjoying that, say that sport, or whatever, their sport that they love in the same way. And that is at the root of what the challenge athletes do. And I want us to bear that in mind when we celebrate and we get to love it. And I want to thank you guys for being here and being so generous with your your donations. We're going to have a really good fun chat. I'm, uh, I'm incredibly excited to to welcome Paula Finley. Finley and Vincent Luis to to Purple Patch and and I've never met Vincent. I'm going to introduce him in a couple of moments. But Paula is is someone that I've been really lucky to follow her career from afar for a long time, I used to get frustrated because many of the athletes that I used to coach used to have to compete against her, but she's gone through such an amazing journey. She is best known in the world as an international podcaster. I want to point out so I can get your get your plug in for that triathlon life. Because you and Eric do a great job. But she is a Olympian in the sport of triathlon. She has won many, many half Ironman races, and most recently, the Ironman 70 point me race recently, Oceanside, many of the race that you guys know. And then just a couple of weeks ago, St George. The very last running of St George dominated it. And so one thing I'm going to touch on today, as well, was a race from afar, and I haven't spoken to you about this, but the big race in Daytona that I think was probably a little bit of a seismic event in your career, but I'm going to ask you about that, which was absolutely fantastic. And and there is a rumor. I'm not sure if it's true, but I will ask you, are you dancing into the world of Iron Man this year? Is that true?
Paula Findlay 10:47
I've been waffling too much official. Um, yeah, don't actually get into
Matt Dixon 10:53
that. Just give me one quick yes or no, and then we're gonna ask you about it later. TBD. TBD, Okay,
10:59
listen to my podcast. Oh, there you go. Fantastic.
Matt Dixon 11:03
Ladies and gentlemen. Paula Finley, thank you. This man needs a little introduction. Vincent Luis, two time itu, world champion, Olympic Games competitor all fancy for France. 2012 London Olympics, 2016 in Rio. Do you remember that? Do you remember that Olympics? By chance? Yeah, you got a little medal there, didn't you? And 2020 in Tokyo. And he's one of the legends of short course racing. Both of these athletes will be racing the t1 100. Is this your how many t1 hundreds? Have you done?
Vincent Luis 11:45
Um, I've raced Singapore. So that's my second one. I mean, I've, I've completed Singapore. Okay, there
Matt Dixon 11:51
you go. So this the first real one? Oh, yeah, that was the actual first one. Yeah.
Matt Dixon 11:57
Lucky. Lucky. Number three. Then three, number three, there you go. And then one other thing, I've been noticing that he is looking at my sneakers, because he is an avid sneaker collector, and he had a little look down, and I saw him wink at me and look and say, I appreciate your style. And that's not many times that people ever talk about my style. Vincent Luis, welcome to Purple Patch and challenge athletes. Well, going to talk about the sport we love. And Paula, I'm going to start with you, as is appropriate, and actually want to go all the way back to the start, and I'm really interested. How did you get into triathlon? And so tell us the story. What was your first experience in triathlon? I grew
Paula Findlay 12:38
up with really active parents like my my parents were both runners, and I was in sport growing up, but I was a competitive swimmer for a lot of my younger years, and started running track and field and cross country just in high school, mostly for fun, but because I had good genetics from my parents in the running domain and the fitness from swimming, I had a lot of success running early on, so it seemed kind of natural to give triathlon a try, just because I already had two of the sports nailed. So my running coach at the time said I should get a bike and I could probably make the junior national team. And I thought there's no way, because in swimming, I was never really on the pathway to being good enough to make it to the Olympics. But when I did my first triathlon and had immediate success and went to junior worlds that year, I saw a glimpse of possibility that I could possibly be good at this and go to the Olympics. So yeah, I was kind of lucky to find it that way, and I was hooked right away.
Matt Dixon 13:32
Where was your first triathlon that you ever did? It was actually at
Paula Findlay 13:34
the University, where I ended up going to school and where my dad still works. So it was just a local try, but we swam in a pool, and it was a sprint distance, and, Oh, fantastic,
Matt Dixon 13:43
Vincent. Let's start with you. Where did you start?
Vincent Luis 13:49
My parents were runners. I mean, just recreationals, and they will, like, once a year ago, on holiday somewhere with, like, running a marathon, so New York or Berlin, or wherever they could go, and I would just go with them and do the kids race in the morning and things like that. And I was actually swimming. My sister was a swimmer, and it was just easy for my parents to drop us both at the same place to do the same sport. And I was actually quite successful in swimming. And then when I was about to go to high school, I had to, like, kind of make a decision between going for swimming or going and just try triathlon. So I picked actually swimming. And after two weeks, I was like, Well, I can't I was 14 back then, as a cop, I don't see myself doing this my whole life. It's just too boring. And, yeah, two weeks later, called my parents, I said, just come and pick me up and bring me, just bring me to the triathlon sports school, and that's how it's all started, really, yeah,
Matt Dixon 14:46
it's amazing. And when, I guess, when you, when you both started, you, you've both been in the sport for such a long journey, you probably couldn't envision the journey that you've been on, or how long you would be beyond that journey. Yeah.
Paula Findlay 14:59
Me. Definitely not. I figured I'd go to school and be a doctor and, yeah, do this for fun and ultimately go to the Olympics and then retire. But finding 70.3 and long distance and having success that this was almost a second phase of the career that I could keep racing. But, yeah, I never thought it'd be this long.
Vincent Luis 15:17
Yeah, no, it's really similar for me. I, I mean, I, I did not really imagine having a career in sport, like at all. And it's, I mean, we talking 20 years ago, like it's when I told my dad I wanted to do triathlon. He's told me, that's not a job, you know. So I was like, Well, okay, I guess I want to be a jet fighter pilot. But no, wasn't good enough. So, but, yeah, no, I actually watched the 2004 Olympics in Athens. And I remember, like, watching the podium and seeing the guys they had, like, you know, they were on the podiums. And I was like, wow, that's, that's, that's what I want to do. And then I went to, I went to London, and I remember saying, you know, back then, you were already training quite hard, and it was already intense, and everything out the diet and everything. And I was like, Oh, if, if I'm Olympic champion, I'm retiring. That was my that was my thing. If I want to pick champion, I'm retiring, well, I'm still doing to attend, then
16:10
you're still on the journey. Yeah, I will, probably, I
Vincent Luis 16:13
will never be Olympic champion, but I'm still enjoying it. And yeah, that was, that was, that was great. But yes, as to bounce back on your question, or never in a lifetime I would imagine like doing what I've been able to do, or just achieving the things I've done. It's, it's amazing, where the journey just brings you and the country, the countries you can visit and stuff like that. You know, my my dad never left the country and and just when I just telling him that China and Japan are two different countries, is it loses is it lost his mind. So, yeah, it's quite, you know, it's, it's, it's good, like, I feel, I feel, I feel, I'm bringing something to the family. I'm like, you know, like bringing something different. And my sister was more the brain side, like, she's a petrol engineer. She works on oil rigs and stuff like that and and so we, we really different, but I feel I'm bringing my part of something in the family, and that's, that's what I always wanted, you know, just just not being the guy that's that just run fast, and don't think much,
Matt Dixon 17:18
run faster. It was coming from an athlete who is known as to be one of the most strategic athletes in the in the sport, doesn't think much. You just make smart, instinctive decisions, I guess. So you
17:29
can see what the orders are.
Matt Dixon 17:33
The you talked about the global travel and that side of stuff. And I was very lucky got to work with a lot of professional athletes. I'd love both of your perspectives, and maybe Paula will start with you of some of maybe the surprises of being a professional athlete, because there is a romantic anytime you say professional athlete, there's a romance attached to it. You get to race at the pinnacle level. You get paid to do this job. You get to go international travel, but day to day, what's something that is maybe the biggest surprise that you might think, is it just how normal it is?
Paula Findlay 18:11
Yeah, I traveled a lot when I was younger, and it just became second nature to live out of a suitcase and go back to my parents house as my home base. But really, I was on the road most of the year, and traveling to different WTS races and World Cups around the world, and learning a lot. I think I was, I was kind of naive, and I was just doing it. But looking back, it's kind of crazy to think that I did that as a young, 20 year old, like even to this day, I think I'm, like, more of a nervous person now, and I don't like traveling as much as I used to. I'm much more of a homebody now, and Eric and I have a dog in a house, and I'd rather just stay home and race in the in the US all year, if I could choose. But yeah, back then, it was really cool to be able to see all these places. And I think I I took it for granted a little bit, because I was just going to do a job and race and try to win and then go back home, and I didn't spend a lot of time, you know, going and visiting places or anything. It was more like just work. But regardless, yeah, really cool places that I could see and still do with this t1 100 circuit.
Vincent Luis 19:14
Yeah, no, it is. It is. It is a really cool life, like, I want lights, it's really good. And you're 1415, you're traveling the world, and you're going with your mates, like all these guys were my friend and, and, and, well, you you Junior. So you finish your race, and you watch the elites, and then, and then you go for a party, and you meet people that they live on the other side of the world, and, and it's complete, different cultures and, and you so like much more, like, aware of what's happening and, and some, like, I talk with some of my friends now, they're like, married, they have babies and stuff, but they've never went anywhere, you know, they've never left, like, yeah, the village where we grew up and, and they married the neighbor, and, you know, it's like, it's like, you know, it's like, it just, it's just there. And
Matt Dixon 20:00
I'm glad you didn't say interfere, yeah, by the way, at least you went neighbor, not cousin,
20:06
Yeah?
Vincent Luis 20:08
But you know, at the end of the day, it's like, it's like, if you look back, as, as Paula said, like, back, then you're like, Oh yeah, it's, it's just normal. You get your new, like, national team kit, and then you get a bit bloody because the color doesn't match your shoes or whatever, yeah, but, but now you're looking back and you're like, Wow, that was just amazing. Like, the life I had was was crazy, and then, and then being able to now, now the thing that I like is to share it with friends, you know, like, just if I can bring, like, some of my friend to a race, you know, my my friend from childhood is a big fan of the US for some reason. Like, he's like, Oh yeah, I love the US. He's been confusing, yeah, you know, but he's like, he's like, oh, I want to go to Vegas. I'm like, No, do you don't want to go to Vegas?
Matt Dixon 20:50
You really don't. He really doesn't.
Vincent Luis 20:54
But you know, when I can bring him with me to race and then, and then I'm like, Oh, mate, I'm gonna like, like, fly your business and stuff like that. And he's, like, he's, he's amazed, you know, and, and just these things for me, they're really the things I want to do now is just, it's just share it, because I realized how many people like will just love to live, like, 1% of the lives we, of the life we, we live, and, and I think that's the best thing for me. And just, yeah, just just being able to share this thing for me, that's that's now the more more goal in my life than just that's just doing my job and enjoying it by myself. Well,
Matt Dixon 21:28
I'm just for you guys at home and everyone here when, when I was thinking about what I wanted to ask both of you. There are, there are many times that you bring up athletes, and you go through, you know, the relatively typical questions that you might ask and and I decided that I want to do things a little bit differently. And I'm going to talk about three main subjects to get your guys point of view, Chatham, house rules, apart from it will be up on social media. So I want to talk about three, three main subjects, which is pressure, adversity and reinvention, those are the three things. And so we're going to start with pressure first I thought. And the reason I want to give you some grounding of why I want to talk about this for a certain chapter within your long story of triathlon so far, and you guys still have many chapters to write in the sport, both of you were not just at the highest level. You were at an unbelievable level. And for a period where almost every race, you were the hot favorites. And you know, I watched from afar, and just really viewed both Vincent and Paula as a part of their career is almost unbeatable in many ways, and that comes with potentially some internal pressure, but also a lot of external pressure. And I'd really be interested Vincent. I'll start with you of how throughout your career, and maybe at the time where you really had the bright lights and the spotlight on you, how you manage that, and what your relationship with stress and pressure was like,
Vincent Luis 23:06
yeah, that's that's a really good subject. Like to answer your question, there's two, two things, two elements I think are good to know. Is the first thing, and for me, the the one person that masterized pressure is Alistair Brantley, yeah, he won the Olympics. He was the favorite in front of home crowd. The London Olympic was insane. Like, he has his face on busses and credit card everywhere. Anyone. Like, it's incredible. Like, people don't even imagine how his head was before the race and anyone. And for me, that's out of everything I've seen, it's the best ever, like sport performance I've seen in triteland and and then talking about me personally, like I've I've came into the Olympics twice as one of the favorite for medal or for the win our second at the test event in 2015 the year before Rio Olympics and Ravi Gomez, that won the test event, was injured for the race, so I was coming into Olympics as one of the favorites. Same in in 2021 I won every single race on the calendar in 2020 and yeah, I was, I was just not good enough. Like I finished, like, far off the podium, and that's just what I have. And my friends actually, after Tokyo, they call me the camping chair because I fall under pressure. So that's, that's, that's something that's, that stays now, but that was just, yeah, that's, that's, it is what it is. You know, you don't, you don't rewrite history and, and
Matt Dixon 24:41
and how did you grow from that? How did you, did you manage to take that? Well, it was, it
Vincent Luis 24:45
was two different experience. The first one, I really took it took it really, really bad after, after real Olympics. It was, I mean, I've, I don't know what depression is, but I don't think I was far off. I really cut. I. Uh, every single ration I had with family, friends, and I just took myself inside the house and, and, and, you know, I'm not like, I did not have any battles or whatever, but I was just, like, thinking over and over, why am I doing this? Is it worth it? And, and you just, you just spend your day doing nothing like, like, you don't you don't eat, you don't drink, you just at home. You just waiting for life to go on. And, and I remember my friend they, they came and picked me up and said, mate, we, we took a flight for you. We going to Kenya for for two months. And, and that is nothing to do except running. So that's, that's all you have to do. And, and, yeah, we just boarded and the flight and arrived there. And it was, it was the best decision, like the best, the best six weeks of my life. I spent Christmas there, New Year's Eve there, and it was amazing. And, yeah, that was, that was
Matt Dixon 25:50
in a, basically a running training camp involved, yeah, yeah. Well, the
Vincent Luis 25:53
first week of I was getting dropped by everyone, so I had to take motor taxi to come back to the hotel and stuff like
26:01
yeah, he was in altitude, yeah, yeah, it's eaten.
Vincent Luis 26:04
So it's 2500 meters elevation. It's like, it's savage. It's like, it's really hard conditions and, and you can't really complain
Matt Dixon 26:15
the luxury hotels and plasma TVs, yeah,
Vincent Luis 26:18
not really, if you have electricity, that's, that's a good day. Yeah, no, that was, that was really good to reconnect with reality. And, you know, I remember, I was talking with some guys, and they were like, Oh, why? Why? Why are you sad? Why you here? And I saw, yeah, I failed at the Olympics. So where did you finish? I was seventh. And they're like, mate, like, What are you talking about? Like, if seventh at the Olympic cloud can, how can you be sad about it? And, you know, and then you realize, like, disguise day, they live out of nothing, but they will give you everything. And then you just, yeah, you just come back with a different vision of your life and everything. And I think that was really, really good and and after I, and after I failed the second time at the Olympics in 2021 i i knew by experience, than just being, being sad about it, did not bring anything. So I'm just like, Yeah, can I just keep racing? There are other races coming and and you still a good athlete, and you can still win races. And, yeah, life goes on at the end of the day, you still come back, you still sit on the couch, you still do your laundry and everything. So, you know, it's still, yeah, like, bad performance can happen, but life still goes on, and the sun will shine tomorrow and rise, and you can stay in your bed or get out and train again. And yeah, I mean, I just want
Matt Dixon 27:37
to warn you, it might not shine on Saturday morning. Because, yeah, I
Vincent Luis 27:42
think at the end of the day, like, a bad performance is just what you do with it. And you can be in the mindset and and it's only on you, like, it's not like your entourage, it's not people telling you, oh yeah, you good, or you're not good. It's, it's mostly what you do with it. And at the end of the day, if, if people are raising a hand, if, if you take it or not. It's, it's your choice, yeah. And yeah, it's just, it's just sports. It's just sport. There's so much more than this. And yeah, so it was two different experience and and honestly, if I can, if I can, if I can, relive 2016 go to Kenya again, and all that, I'll, I'll do it. Yeah, every single time. Yeah, it was really good.
Matt Dixon 28:21
How about you, Paula, handling?
28:26
What was the, remind me the question.
Matt Dixon 28:30
So the original question, yeah, that's crime thriller, was the question. And he's no, we're talking about handling pressure, actually, and then how I do it, how you did, how you manage, how you manage pressure, externally, internally, whatever it might be, we rolled into adversity as well. But, and that's okay, you can go there if you want, because it was fantastic and interesting. Great answer. We started a book, then you should write a book. My friend got a lot of stories.
Paula Findlay 29:01
Yeah, I had a little bit of a similar pathway as I was really young. When I started having the success in ITU, like 1920 I was, I won five big races in a row, kind of out of nowhere. And when I started winning these races, I didn't really have sponsors yet. I didn't have a manager. I was, I was used to winning because of my junior years, but not at the elite level like this. So it was a very big shock to me, and everything was thrown on to me really quickly, because when you're winning and having success, everybody wants to be associated with you. And triathlon Canada was, you know, what do you need? You can have literally anything you need because you want you're going to win an Olympic gold medal. So I was 21 dealing with this external pressure, but still trying to train and perform like I always had, which was just like, you know, putting my head down and working hard. So I went into the Olympics with an injury, actually, but I had pre qualified, and I had, like, it was, it was the London Olympics, so 2012, a lot of. Pressure, which I tried to kind of blindfold myself and not think about. But I went into the race as a favorite to win, and ended up coming in last place, actually, so much worse than seventh. But I finished the race, and I pulled off the course several times on the run, crying, thinking like, I can't do this. So I really did crumble under the pressure, and was not physically fit enough to be there, so I took me a lot of years to get over that, and I still wanted to be in the sport, because the success I had had in 2011 was still so fresh in my mind, and I still believed I could be back being one of the best in the world, but it was just this huge blip under all these eyeballs, like there's so many people watching the Olympics. People have no idea what triathlon even is that back home in Canada, the media was like all over my story, which I luckily didn't see because I wasn't back home. But yeah, it was a it was part of this time in my career that I've almost tried to block out of my memory. And there's so many details I don't even remember anymore. Feels like a different athlete sometimes, but I'm really lucky that I, over almost a decade, got over the hump of injury and setbacks and could perform well. Ultimately, 2020 and Daytona was kind of the kickoff to the next phase in my career, which was eight years later. So yeah, having a great family and having school in the middle of that, I did get a degree and had other focuses, so that was good to not just identify as a triathlete, but have other things in my life. You mentioned,
Matt Dixon 31:28
I'm going to jump to this because I wanted to ask you about Daytona. I mentioned it downstairs, I think a little bit again, I wasn't intimately a part of your triathlon journey, but that really seemed as a huge moment in your career. I'd love you to go down there where it's it was that seemed like that was a real transition for you. Can you talk about that a little bit? In
Paula Findlay 31:49
some ways, it was, I think 2020. Was actually really good for me in a lot of ways. I know a lot of people had a lot of hardship that year, so I not going to say it was like the greatest year ever, but it for me, personally, having a total break from racing was actually just what I needed, and Eric and I could still continue to train that year, because we love training, and it just made me realize that that I actually do want to get out the door each day and train and push myself. And I did have goals still in the sport, but we had no idea when, when you be on a start line next, including Daytona. It was still up in the air, up till weeks before, whether we could travel down to the US to race there. So I was fitter than I thought, than I knew I was, because we'd been training all year, but under complete non pressure, like I was just doing it because I wanted to. I was doing sessions because I wanted to. I was going after qoms and doing Strava and all the fun things. So after I won Daytona, Eric was like, I think we're just going to race one time a year. That's like, your thing. You just train for 11 months with no stress and then go and race the biggest race of the year. Obviously, that's hard to do, but it was kind of eye opening, because I'm like, I went into that with such a good head space and happiness and kind of willing to I had no idea I was going to win, obviously, but, yeah, it ended up being a great
Matt Dixon 33:03
day. You've had so much success since a success since then. So was that? Was that a real lesson you've managed to build on of because what it sounded there is you had, what's that word fun along the journey? And he
Paula Findlay 33:16
never was fun for me. Yeah, even though, I mean, we're in like, lockdown and stuff, just sounds like
Matt Dixon 33:21
you were racing with real freedom yet, yeah. So just like, you know, for the absolute purity of having the sport, of just embracing the sport, Have you, have you managed to retain as a semblance as that as you go through now, a
Paula Findlay 33:34
little bit it's it is hard in these two 100 races, because it feels like short course racing again, where there's, like, a lot of pressure, and all the best athletes are here, and I find it really challenging to maintain that, you know, open minded head space when we race these people so many times a year. But I try, I try, yeah,
Matt Dixon 33:52
give it your best. I do want to ask about coaching or mentors, because you both have gone through really winding, interesting journeys. You've talked about the adversity that you've changed. What's the role of of either mentors or coaching in that, or team around that? And maybe Eric is a huge part of that. Paula, can you just talk about the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people as you go on the journey?
Paula Findlay 34:17
Yeah, for sure, I'm I met Eric in 2018 we got married last year, so we've been together for a while, but it was, for sure, the reason that I'm still in the sport and still able to race. Well, definitely could not do this without him behind the scenes, doing so much of like, bike stuff, and, I mean, everything, and training with me. So yeah, he's a huge part of it. I recently made a coaching change, but that's been really positive, just a fresh start, kind of this phase of my career. But definitely having a good team is the biggest part of this. I think you can't do it
Matt Dixon 34:50
alone. And Vincent, Vincent, you started at a at a sports school, so you you were sort of in a system straight away, but talked about coaching and mentors or support. Yeah. Yeah,
Vincent Luis 35:00
yeah, I've started that, as you say, at the sports school and, and he was like, School of Life, because you go, you sleep in a dorm with with all the boys, and you learn yet to do everything like you do all the stuff that your mom or your dad used to do for you. And, yeah, that was, that was really cool. And then, and then I went from coach to coach. You know, when you're young, like you just think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. And then 2020, 18, I've started to work with Joe feel from Canada, actually, yeah, and yeah. Just, I just found so much calm with him, so much like confidence. You know it's he knows. He knows what it is to win an Olympic gold medal with his athletes. You know what, what it is to win world title. And so I did not feel the need to impress him with sessions with, with whatever. So if I had to say, well, Joel, I'm tired, or, well, this session is actually quite hard, like I could, I could say it, you know. And before you like, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna tell him it's too hard. I'm not gonna tell him. I need the rest, you know. And, and with Joel, he was completely different. And I think I was just, I was just trusting, trusting Him. And it's really hard to find someone that you can really share everything. And yeah, if I had, if I had a bad night for whatever reason, I will, I will just tell him, and and he will adapt the training. And I think he was, he was really good. And when I switched to long distance at the start of this year, I actually asked myself, or Should I, should I change coach? Because Joel is famous for coaching short distance athlete show, course, athletes and, and, and I'm gonna finish this year. I have one more year in the sport, and I think at the end of 2026, that's me. That's me done. But I was like, by the time I build the same relationship with another coach, I'll, I'll be done with triathlon. So no, I'm, I'm trusting him, and I know he's, I know he has skin in the game, and he wants to invest a lot and and take times and and so I'm just like, No, we, we just gonna finish what we started together. And yeah, I'm, really happy because I can, I can trust him, and I can really share everything from like, training to feelings. And that's really good, really, really good to have someone like that in your corner.
Matt Dixon 37:11
Yeah, trust is, is the bedrock of every great team and every great coaching relationship, and I absolutely endorse your decision, because that's a that's a process to go through, so it's great, and it's going to be poetic to finish the chapter. Yeah, any triathlon with him?
Vincent Luis 37:27
It's so easy now, you know, I don't know if it's, I mean, I don't want to seem all like saying that, but you just feel like it's so much instant thing now, like it's so easy to change and and you always think something's better. There is a new technology in your device and your gadget, a new whatever, and but at the end of the day, just, it's just the process, and if you stick to what you know and just and just repeat and just show up every single day, that's, that's how you that's how you win races. Like the next device is gonna tell you if you sleep good or you don't sleep good, but it's, it's not gonna make you win a race. Like it's, it's the 30 hours a week for 10 years that's gonna make you win a race.
Matt Dixon 38:06
Are you listening to this? You guys listening to this?
Vincent Luis 38:11
No, it's quite lucky, because I keep hearing about, you know, now we have the Norwegian meat like, oh yeah, they use 36 sensors every time they do a session. But, and people, it's, it's a gimmick, you know? People are like, oh, yeah, I need this new watch. I need no man like the Norwegians, the good because for 10 years, they train 30 hours a week. They're not good because they have a sensor in the middle of the forehead, yeah? And that's, and that's, that's what people need to understand.
Matt Dixon 38:37
It's exactly right. So let's, let's, let's talk about your guys a moment, as you've if you've gone there, you just mentioned having a season or so. Where do we find yourselves now, as as athletes, you're racing this Saturday, and it's the t1 100. It's the San Francisco edition. So it is Alcatraz, although a tougher course than the the amateurs, because they're going up and down, up and over the hill six times. Yeah, was that right? Six times over the hill? Legendary race. Great Race. How? I got two questions around it wet. Where do both of you see your journey in sport going forward? And I'm going to start with Paula, because you said you've just got a little time left. Where's the
39:24
future? I think I am still on a similar timeline.
Matt Dixon 39:27
You're on a similar time. Well, you better do that too, okay, but Paula, that geezer, that big geezer in the corner, did one. Where do we find you? Paula,
Paula Findlay 39:44
I don't know. I like I said, I never thought I'd still be doing triathlon as a 36 year old, but I'm still having success at it, and I'm still having fun with it. I'm still winning races, and I don't take that for granted. I think it's really cool, and I don't I appreciate. Afraid that I can live this lifestyle and still be really successful at the top level in the sport. So it's tough. Because also maybe want to have kids, and that's kind of hard to fit into this timeline. So I also want to do an Iron Man. I wish, I really wish I could be like 10 years younger right now and still do the sport for a lot more years. But yeah, just kind of taking it race by race at the moment. And I said at the start of the year that I wanted to race like placid as my first Iron Man. Oh, fantastic. But I made this coaching change, and it was kind of the refreshing change that I was looking for. And I think when I decided to do Placid, I was, that was the thing. I was like, something new, something cool to work for that I haven't didn't know that'll be totally new to me, but the coaching change kind of checked that box. So I do want to do an Ironman, but it'll likely be in 2026 and this year, just focus on still being fast and still trying to race these t1 hundreds at the top level, before I dive into the super long stuff. How
Matt Dixon 40:59
is the how is the t1 100 you talked about all the high pressure and the greatest athletes, but I'd love your perspective on all of the changes that are happening in the sport and and these events that have burst onto the team, really, over the last couple of years, that they've really cemented. I'd love your your perspective of the racing. Yeah,
Paula Findlay 41:17
it's it's hard and it's fast, and there's obviously a lot of short course athletes coming over and racing and doing it really well. The training isn't too different from racing an Olympic distance short course race. So these athletes that are coming over are good right away, for the most part. And when I left short course, I didn't make the 2016 Olympics, and I kind of started to transition over to 70.3 and I liked the freedom of, like, picking my own race schedule and driving to some races, and it's it's a different lifestyle, but racing the t1 hundreds, like I said earlier, feels a lot like being back in the short course world, where it's a lot of travel, it's a lot of stress. You're lining up against the best people on the blue carpet with the drums. And it brings back, like, memories from when I was a teenager that I don't necessarily love all those memories, but no, I do a really appreciate. I think the t1 100 is awesome for the sport. The broadcast, the way they take care of us is amazing at these races. Like we show up and there's a bike mechanic, there's a massage therapist. Like, we really feel like professional athletes when we come to these which is really cool to experience at this at this age in my career. So, yeah, I I forget what you asked originally.
Matt Dixon 42:27
We're just rolling. We're just rolling. Yeah, I like
Paula Findlay 42:32
to mix in some half Iron Man's too. That was one of that, because that's a different vibe, like you're racing with the amateur athletes on the course. And I love that. Me and Eric both go to these races, and people know us and come up to us and talk to us, and the t1 hundreds feel a little bit more like we are pros here, and we don't see the age groupers as much. So I like the age group side and interacting with them as much as I can.
Matt Dixon 42:53
Vincent you already just dipping your toes into this, but it sounds like it's somewhat familiar, but tell me about the experience of racing t1
Vincent Luis 43:02
100, yeah, no, it's, it is. I mean, it's gonna be, like, my third official t1 100 race. It's, it's really, it's really good. Our everything, like evolve, like, revolves around the athletes. Yes, as Paula mentioned, bike mechanic, physio, and everything, and everything is, like, it's, it's really, really good, but, yeah, it's a bit like, short, cool, sort of, again. I mean, the locations are different, which I really appreciate, because I've been, I think I've been 11 times to Yokohama, so I can, I can tell you all the flights and everything, all the coffee shops, like, I know everything there. So I'm quite happy to go to new locations, and there are a few new people and new faces. And I think the last time I saw Paula was 2012 at the Olympics. So, you know, it's like, it is, it is really, I mean, I've seen you in 2020 in Daytona, but it's really a cycle. And yeah, at the end of the day, I'm going to race Challenge Roth, July, 6. That's going to be my first full distance. And I've seen my dad racing. He raced there 20 years ago in 2005 and I always say that would my first long distance. So I'll do, I'll do this one this year and try to qualify for Kona next year. And I think Kona will be my last race ever. So yeah, no, that's just, that's just the journey. That's just what I've always wanted to do. I always say there are two races to win. It's the Olympics and corner. The race is good for the All the rest is good for bookshelves. That's, that's what I always said. But yeah, t1 100 came in, into the game and, and it's, it's, it's really fun. I love all the all the media and all the freedom we have around and and, yeah, at the end of the day, to be honest. Um, gosh, is King
Matt Dixon 44:50
love the honesty. Does anyone here have any questions before I ask my my last one question that I have for anyone? Anyone, it's your one chance. Go ahead. Pat. Hmm, actually, sorry,
45:04
thank you both for
Audience 45:05
being here, by the way, before the race. Curious what you both are thinking about doing after triathlon? I
Paula Findlay 45:20
think Vince has a million things lined up. Yeah, I don't totally know. It's kind of a scary question. Eric and I have have TTL that we've built, which is kind of a lot of things, like, we've got a podcast YouTube. Eric's very good at media stuff, making videos and things like that. So hopefully that can continue to grow and not necessarily be totally tied to Eric and I as we retire and don't race as much anymore, but I like to think that, like, over the span of 20 years in the sport, I have a lot of skills that I couldn't have learned in school, like, I don't know a million things I could go work at any of the brands that I am now sponsored by, I think, and do marketing or anything like that. So, yeah, I think there's a lot of opportunity or coaching, but I don't really know 100% sure yet. It's a good question, though.
Vincent Luis 46:16
Yeah, I do have a few things that I would love to do, and like, I'm opening a coffee shop in Paris next week. So yeah, that's that's exciting, but you don't make money from coffee, so it's just like, something that I want to have fun with. Yeah, I think coaching or mentoring is something I would like to do, but I don't really know in which form yet. I need to have a think about it. I've been in contact with a few federations to work as, like a performance director, but I just want to be, I just want, if I have to work as a coach or with a federation, I just, I just want to put performance in this, in the center of the project, like I don't want to deal with the politics and all that. I just want to if, if I have to carry the bag of an athlete for him to win a race, I'll do it. You know, that's for me. It's like the most important is, is the athlete to be in the best disposition to win a race, and and it can be, it can be by, by doing things for him, or just spending time with him or her, like, whatever. But it's just the knowledge I have through, like, those 20 years that I raced. I can, I can basically tell a federal coach that hasn't spent one hour with the athletes, okay, like you need to step back. This guy doesn't need you now. He just needs some time off, or he needs to for you to get to the store and grab some sparking water or whatever. But I think this is as, as Paul said, we, we know things that you don't learn at school, and because we, we've traveled so much. We we've we've used so many pairs of trainers. We rode so many different bikes, and we, we've seen so many things that we have some inputs that you'll never find in any guys that's done any business school, it's just, it's just something you can't buy and, and if some brands or some Federation sees, see a value in it, then, then good for us. But if not, yeah, I have a few things. I just hope I have enough time to fulfill them. Yeah, that's, that's my main stuff.
Matt Dixon 48:19
Last chance for alcohol, any last question. Go ahead and then Mo, come on. You got out there and you and actually have to stand in front of the camera. Come on. Get in front of that camera. Man, I'll
Audience 48:30
take this. So I have question for Vincent. I want to go back to Rio 2016 I watched the race like 100 time. Every time I'm riding. I want to ask you about off the bike running with Alistair and Johnny, what was going on your head, and also what Johnny was yelling at you about, yeah,
Vincent Luis 48:50
well, Johnny has a really thick Yorkshire accent, so I still don't know actually what he was saying exactly. Well, this race did not go according to plan, really, because we were three French at the start, and the two guys were supposed to help me on the bike and be because I knew the brandy brothers were stronger than me on the bike and and that's where they wanted to wear me a bit out before the run. Because, yeah, they did kind of think I could outrun them, but Well, the two frenches missed the French group. So the first, the first group, sorry. So I was alone with the brownies, and it was a really hard course. On the bike, it was really, really hard. And at the end of the bike, I was already kind of with heavy legs, and I'm like, okay, I can, I can walk my way through. I'm just staying there. I'm gonna fold the pace and see what I can do. And yeah, Johnny was just basically asking me to take, to take pools, to pull through, to help them, and, and I just could not. And I think after two or three case, I just got dropped, and I was like, Well, now it's all about survival. And, yeah, it was a it was, honestly, it was, for me, one of the best learning race ever, because I came in as a favorite and and so many things were put together for me. Me by the federations and, and, you know, sponsors, they invited me for I did so many things before, like, I've I've been to the Nike house, I've played golf with Tinker at field, the guy that designed the air marks, and, and I was just like, wow, this is amazing. This is amazing. And then you finish seventh at the Olympics, and nobody knows your name anymore. So, you know it is, it is like, you do learn a lot through these races. And, yeah, that was a great experience. I did, I did love Rio. And I actually came back in December because my sister lives there. Now she's building an oil rig there. So I came back to Rio and, and I remember walking back, like the street of the finish line. I was like, wow, that was good. Even if I was seventh, that was really good. I enjoyed it. Fantastic.
Matt Dixon 50:41
Bob, I think you had a question.
Audience 50:46
So was there? Was there a race early on where that made you realize you could be one of the best?
Matt Dixon 50:52
Was there a race earlier on in your career that made you realize you could be one of the best?
Vincent Luis 51:01
Well, there is, yeah, there's one race. I remember that was the 2018 grand final in Gold Coast. I won the race. And I remember, in the morning, I woke up and I went for my checkout run. Like, it was, like, seven or 8am and I'm like, Wow, I can't close today. Like, good luck. I don't know who's gonna finish second, but I'm definitely winning this race. And that I wasn't like, I'm gonna be great, I'm gonna win the Olympics, but I'm like, what today? Unbeatable. And I remember reading an interview about Alistair, and he said, if he had this feeling when he wake up on the 2012 Olympics, and he was like, for today, like, I guess I don't want to know what's going to finish second, but I know who's going to be first. And some days like that. You don't have too many, but when they happen, you better enjoy them.
Paula Findlay 51:50
Mine was maybe in 2010 the London WTS race. I was going in ranked maybe 35th or something, as one of my first elite World Cup or World Triathlon races, and was running with like Emma snowsill and Emma Moffat and Liz Blatchford and Laura Bennett, and like all these people that I watched on TV growing up and around the last pylon, I, like, grabbed it and swung myself around and put a gap on everybody. And it was, like, shocking to me. I kept looking back, like, 1000 times to see that I was actually winning. And once I won that race, I thought, I mean, it was, I couldn't believe it, but that was kind of what cemented my thought that I could be good at this. And, yeah,
Matt Dixon 52:28
you're pretty, pretty.
Vincent Luis 52:30
I remember, I remember, in 2011 in kids bull, that was my first ever World Series. I just showed up because, because one of the French actually did not race. So I got, like, sub for him. I just showed up. I was like, dead last on the Start list. And I remember watching the woman, and you were racing with Nicola spirit, yes. And I was like, Wow, this girl. And, like, second run, yeah. And like, like, I mean, we the same age, and she was winning World Series, and I was barely making into the start list. And I was like, wow, machine. It
Paula Findlay 53:01
was short lived, but it was a good it was a good year. That's cool though. Well, life
Matt Dixon 53:07
is full of moments, and sport is full of moments, and this was a moment tonight. I all I can say is, thank you so much, and what for being so open and two nights before a big, big race with a bay absolutely full of I explained to Morgan, the shot count is up incredibly high this year in the bay, but don't worry, there's none of those babies in there. Well, none the bite. But I wish you both the best of luck this weekend and for the rest of your careers and for the rest of your journey in life, I think you're both I say this authentically, you're both inspirations. It just been fantastic, and I really appreciate it. Yeah, fantastic. We'll celebrate it and and for everyone at home, thank you so much for for being a part of this evening, the challenge Athletes Foundation I will finish everyone here in this room. Thank you so much for your donations. Thank you for your donations. At home, we will be sending out a follow up. Let's come back to the heart of the reason that we are here. It's an amazing organization we do, or the challenge athletes do, open up access and the opportunity for people with permanent disabilities to have many, many moments in life through the access of sport. And so if, if as the follow up when we send a thank you email out to everyone, if you would like to donate any more and bring us up even higher in our level tonight, it was a tremendous success for the Challenged Athletes Foundation. Thank you Bob. Thank you for the whole team. Thank you mo Thank you Alan. It's lovely to see you again. Thank you everyone here. Really appreciate and finally, one more time, thank you Vincent and Paula and best of luck. Thank you guys. We'll see you next time. Take care guys. Thanks so much for joining and thank you for listening. I hope that you enjoyed the new format. You can never miss an episode by simply subscribing. Head to the Purple Patch channel of YouTube, and you will find it there. And you could subscribe, of course, I'd like to ask you if you will subscribe. Also Share It With Your Friends, and it's really helpful if you leave a nice, positive review in the comments. Now, any questions that you have, let me know, feel free to add a comment, and I will try my best to respond and support you on your performance journey. And in fact, as we commence this video podcast experience, if you have any feedback at all, as mentioned earlier in the show, we would love your help in helping us to improve. Simply email us at info@purplepatchfitness.com, or leave it in the comments of the show at the Purple Patch page, and we will get you dialed in. We'd love constructive feedback. We are in a growth mindset, as we like to call it, and so feel free to share with your friends. But as I said, Let's build this together. Let's make it something special. It's really fun. We're really trying hard to make it a special experience, and we want to welcome you into the Purple Patch community with that. I hope you have a great week. Stay healthy, have fun, keep smiling, doing whatever you do, take care.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
Triathlon, Vincent Luis, Paula Findlay, Challenge Athletes Foundation, Night of Champions, resilience, performance, adversity, reinvention, coaching, mentorship, Ironman, T1 100, Alcatraz, Olympic Games.