An Ironman in Memory of My Son Juan Diego – ElPropósito10 min de lectura

The power of a goal with a deeply personal purpose

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  Santa Rosa, California, May 2019





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  I promise this will be one of the few long posts I write, so thank you for reading something so personal that comes straight from my heart.

I started writing these words on the flight to Santa Rosa, California, with my wife and son. Many thoughts had crossed my mind since I began this long road, which, thank God, I managed to finish: my first Ironman. A big mission, a big challenge, a big strategy, a great team and a great cheering squad.

I firmly believe in the power of goals, in their purpose and in having a deep personal reason for doing things. This race, though, went beyond any motivation, inner or outer. I can honestly say it’s been the most magical and powerful experience of my life so far. It officially began in August 2018, when I decided to do a race, something that would truly challenge me and push me to the limit of my physical and mental abilities. For that I needed the support of someone unconditional, my wife, who at the time was already expecting our little angel, our Juan Diego, my Ironman.

I started on my own, and then I came across one of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met. Hundreds of kilometers away, a man I barely knew gave me all his support, commitment and dedication to achieve what I’ll share as this post goes on: Diego Olivieri, my coach. Training started gently, and as time went on the sessions got longer and harder. I never imagined how intense they could become.

Each week my training plan arrived, Diego reviewed my progress and decided what came next. Swim, bike, run. I’d decided I wanted to do a triathlon and had a rough idea of which race, but I hadn’t committed yet, so for the moment the goal was simply to prepare. The months went by and the magic slowly started to work. I went back to swimming like in the old days, enjoying the feeling of being connected with myself, my thoughts, my fears and also my satisfactions, challenging myself more and more.

During that training I had also left my corporate job. At some point in 2018 I knew it was time to meet one of my many goals and take the opportunity in front of me: to go independent by the time I turned 35. So I decided to start my own executive and team coaching company. Under great coaches like Alfonso Medina, Patricia Cauqui, Virginia Velez, Lourdes Cabero, Eva del Olmo and my own coach, Edgar Chamorro, I trained until I felt able to sustain a business that could give me the peace and calm I needed and longed for with all my strength and all my heart. I wanted something that would let me enjoy every day of my life, ups and downs and whatever came, that I’d be passionate about and, above all, that would give meaning to the life I wanted to live.

I share all this because these were the pillars that held up my life for what I’m about to tell you. My wife, exercise, my coach, my coaching teachers, my company, family and friends became the pillars that let us meet challenges this big and get past life’s most unpredictable obstacles.

We were expecting Juan Diego in February 2019, but God wanted him to come into our lives in December 2018, many weeks early and for many reasons too. It’s impossible to describe in this post everything my wife and I went through. I can sum it up like this: no one is prepared to welcome a child and see him leave seventeen days later. It’s a pain in the heart and in life itself. Your soul and heart are left in pieces, with the biggest lump in your throat from the tears and the weight of so many thoughts, and, above all, no one has ever written a manual for getting through it.

I couldn’t train in December, and the goal vanished in the blink of an eye. I had no head or heart for anything. My only priority was my wife and my two sons. Then a fire lit up in my heart, and the one responsible was Diego, my coach, when he told me in January: "We’re going to keep going and honor Juan Diego’s memory." Those words touched the deepest part of me. My mind and heart lined up so magically that suddenly I channeled all the pain and suffering into one thing only: honoring the memory of my son Juan Diego.

2019 has flown by. In February I signed up for the Santa Rosa, California Ironman, set for May. I knew I had little time, so training was very demanding. German, my great friend with whom I ran the Miami Marathon, kept inviting me to run, and I had to turn him down several times because I couldn’t and didn’t want to break my routine. Same with my brother Charlie and his invitations to open water swims. Thank you both, and I promise we’ll get some good training in soon.

About the team that was with me all these months: I have to mention my nutritionist, María Lucía Rodríguez of Estilo y Nutrición, whose eating plan helped me reach a weight I hadn’t seen in more than 10 years and be in better shape for the race. Thanks also to Vidalia, who helped with my meals and made the diet happen day after day. Thanks to all the guys at Eurobikes in Guatemala (Titi, José, Chepe) for all their support, advice and gear. Thanks to my parents and siblings for all their love and support, and to my mother-in-law and in-laws for always checking in on me and backing me. Thanks to Fredy for the bracelet. It’s my biggest source of energy in the hardest moments.

Then came the trip, and with it the setbacks and the nerves. My last connecting flight was delayed and I wasn’t going to make race check-in (Murphy’s law). That meant changing plans and scrambling for a fix. Luckily there was one, and I made it ready for the race. Here I have to thank Verónica with all my heart. She’s another athlete coached by Diego who also raced, became an Ironman and is now a great friend. Thank you for your unconditional support, your help with the gear bags and nutrition and, above all, the salt tablets for hydration.

Race day came. One of the biggest challenges of my life was in my hands, and I was on edge making sure everything was ready and in its place. Before dawn they took us by bus for an hour from Santa Rosa to Lake Sonoma for the first leg of the race, the swim. Swimming in that lake was a wonderful experience, with truly beautiful scenery. It was my first time swimming in a wetsuit, my first time in open water and, all in all, my first triathlon.

After the swim came the bike, a long but very special course. It was clear the sun, the hills and the wind were going to be a challenge. The night before, at dinner with Adri, Rodrigo, Diego, Verónica, Tom and Path, among many things my coach told me something like: "All kinds of thoughts are going to come into your head. Trust everything you’ve done to get here." And that’s how it went. Riding through the vineyards Santa Rosa is known for, I thought about so many things, especially the force that drives us as human beings to meet challenges we never imagined. The best part was seeing Adri and Rodrigo cheering me on halfway and all along the course.

Then came the last leg, the run. Tired, exhausted and with many kilometers still ahead, I had two options: think about what I still had left, or think about what I’d already achieved and what I was about to achieve (I promise to write about the difference between the two). I chose to give thanks, and to thank myself, for what I’d reached so far and to focus on just one thing: keep running. And I did it. I knew Adri and Rodrigo would be waiting for me at the finish with open arms, and that was my biggest motivation. I wanted them both to see me cross the line as a lasting tribute to the memory of my son Juan Diego.

Finally, the biggest thanks of all, with all my heart, goes to my wife. None of this would have been possible without her. Above all, I admire the bravery and courage I see in her every day as she moves forward through the biggest challenge life has given us. And to my son Rodrigo, for being the light that shines on my path.

A big hug, and thank you for reading,

Rodrigo Baccaro

Author: Rodrigo Baccaro

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