When she first started running triathlons on the international level back in 2013, Katie Zaferes admits she didn't quite know what she was doing.
She had the competitor's edge as a former Division I runner at Syracuse, and she was training with past and future Olympians. But sometimes, she was just trying to finish her race.
That all changed last year, when Zaferes finished on the podium six times and ended the season ranked No. 5 in the International Triathlon Union rankings. That's when the idea of competing on the world's biggest stage didn't seem so far-fetched.
"I was like, oh, OK. I can compete against the best in the world," Zaferes said Wednesday morning. "This is really real. This isn't just a dream anymore. I could quite possibly go to the Olympics."
That reality hit Tuesday morning when Zaferes — a North Carroll graduate, Hampstead native, and the former Katie Hursey — received a spot on the U.S. Olympic triathlon team to compete in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in August.
Things began to click when Zaferes, who is now based in Santa Cruz, Calif., started setting "process goals." It wasn't just that she wanted to get on her bike smoothly for the 40-kilometer middle portion of the triathlon. It was that she wanted to be in a certain position after the opening 1,500-meter swim or entering the final 10-kilometer run.
"I more went at it and developed more of the 'what I want to do throughout the race' mindset during the past couple years," Zaferes said.
She's joined the country's — and the world's — elite. When Zaferes finished No. 5 in the final ITU rankings last year, she trailed two of her teammates in the upcoming Olympic games, No. 1 Gwen Jorgensen and No. 3 Sarah True, both of whom competed in London in 2012, with True finishing just off the podium in fourth.
By competing against them on a regular basis, Zaferes was able to rise to the competition. And with the development of USA Triathlon over the past few years, Zaferes knows there are other talented women coming up through the ranks behind her.
"It's pretty amazing to be part of such a dominant country for the women in triathlon," Zaferes said. "Obviously, just being a part of some strong women makes you stronger and makes you a better athlete because you're all vying for the same spot, and you're wanting to just represent your country in the best way possible."
Zaferes plans to compete in the Escape From Alcatraz triathlon in San Francisco on June 12 with her husband, Tommy — she said it's a "bucket list" race — before heading to Europe to join her teammates and coaches. She'll be based in France and compete in triathlons in Hamburg, Germany and Stockholm, Sweden.
Then, it's on to Rio.
When Zaferes graduated from Syracuse in 2012, she wasn't quite sure what was next. She had accomplished a number of her collegiate goals after she qualified for the NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. But she didn't feel she had the drive to run professionally, and because of her times in college, making the Olympics as a runner wasn't really on her radar.
Zaferes started thinking of what was next for her away from the track, so she applied to graduate school at Towson for community health and health promotion. Even after USA Triathlon reached out to her and she entered the collegiate recruitment program, she was still thinking about her post-athletics career.
But along the way, things fell into place. Zaferes took to the sport, and in doing so, she found success. Ten years ago, she wouldn't have seen representing the United States at the Olympics in the triathlon in her future at all. In August, though, she'll be in Rio with the world's best trying to earn a spot on the podium for the opportunity to see the American flag raised and hear "The Star-Spangled Banner."
"Going and representing my country through racing all over the world in triathlon kind of has made the Olympics even more meaningful for me," Zaferes said. "When you're stepping on a podium and you're listening to your national anthem, it's a pretty proud moment. ... Moments like those make actually going to the Olympics and realizing how cool it is to represent your country just that much more meaningful I guess."
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