Tri-california Events Blog Para-Triathlete Tisa Cawthon Returns to Pacific Grove

By: Megan JaffePhoto credits: www.tisatisa.comFive years ago, Tisa Cawthon crossed the finish line at the 2011 Triathlon at Pacific Grove shocked that she'd survived the demands of a three-discipline race. "It was so tough that I wanted to do it again, but come back prepared, " she said. At 35-years-old, she set out to find what she was lacking. What Cawthon probably didn't realize is that she started that race fully equipped with what most athletes are hoping to eventually gain from the sport: mental fortitude. Cawthon may have started that race with only one arm, but what she brought with her was a tenacity gained in a life of adapting to her challenge.At 17, Cawthon was involved in a near fatal car crash that resulted in the paralysis of her left arm. For the next 15 years she would secure her arm in a sling. For the next 15 years she would endure the chronic pain that goes along with towing the weight of a no longer functioning arm. For the next 15 years she would hide behind the comfortable acceptance of appearing to others that she simply had had a minor fall. At 15 years, she realized her arm was physically and mentally holding her back and that needed to change.Having witnessed friends participating in marathons Cawthon thought she would give that a go. She quickly became discouraged by the incredible pain and discomfort of running with a paralyzed arm. "The dead weight of the arm would drag down my entire left side," she explained, "like running with an anchor." An anchor that mirrored her emotional state and was dragging her away from doing all the things she wanted to do. Cawthon made the brave decision to free herself from that anchor, and have her arm amputated.It's easy to write that, amputate, but difficult to imagine what it must be like to elect to surgically remove a seemingly viable part of your body. And so the conditioning of her psyche began. Cawthon knew it was going come down to the power of her mind outwitting the limitations of her body. She had to stare at her reflection and accept herself the way she was now - no more hiding behind the sling. "I had to get really honest with myself," she admits, "which was [a feeling] stronger than freeing; when you truly accept yourself, all the little things fall away."Cawthon knew the only way she would overcome the trauma of the amputation was to set some goals to achieve things she never thought physically possible. Having been an athlete throughout her youth and now possessing a sage understanding of her power she reveals, "Being an athlete gives your body more purpose than just the aesthetic." With this new purpose she set her sights on a goal of achieving what felt like the most demanding athletic endeavor - triathlon - and her first race would be the 2011 Triathlon at Pacifica Grove.While the demands of the race were humbling, Cawthon learned that day that she had only just begun to test her limits. With the help of a coach, the support of the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), and the camaraderie a tri community, Cawthon's newly ignited passion broke through barriers and thresholds. "I surprised myself with some PR's," she reveals, "but mostly I loved the single focus of seeing what I could do." Within a few years she found herself at the starting lines of the 2012 ITU World Championships in Auckland, New Zealand, the 2013 USAT National Championships in Austin, Texas, and then finally, the 2013 ITU World Triathlon Championships in London, England.With a list of races on her 2014 docket and more PR's to chase, Cawthon soon learned she was going to be in for a different kind of endurance event: she was going to become a mom. So she pulled the reigns back on racing and dedicated that precious time to focus on staying healthy and enjoying the new addition to her family. She also took this time to focus on building her strength so that she could handle the physical demands of holding and carrying her daughter.It wasn't long before triathlon was whispering in her ear, beckoning her return. Serendipitously, ITU National Championships will be held in Santa Cruz this year and the qualifying race just happens to be where it all started for Cawthon back in 2011 - the Triathlon at Pacific Grove. This race was her launching pad into a new sport and a new perspective on life, and she intends to make that happen again as she attempts to qualify for Nationals. "Pacific Grove is where it all began for me and I am grateful to be able to race it again," she said. "This time, I have a new focus on being strong and fit for my family as well."Triathlon forces athletes to focus on achieving a balance of strength necessary to compete, but for Cawthon, as an amputee, she depends on this balance just to help her function in her daily life. As Cawthon races at Pacific Grove this June, chasing down a new dream along the winding coastal vistas she'll be showing her daughter what real fortitude looks like, both mental and physical.Tisa Cawthon's website - www.tisatisa.comShare|