Author: Lila Singer-Berk
A few months ago, current Oxy senior Noel Hollowell decided that completing a triathlon would help her recover from the recent loss of her cousin to leukemia. Hollowell took on the challenge and began training for a half-mile swim through the open ocean, a 14-mile bike ride and a 3.1 mile run. She trained all summer, swimming laps at Oxy’s pool and riding her bicycle around Eagle Rock in order to get in shape and increase her endurance.
On Oct. 3, Hollowell was one of 2000 people participating in the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon. Each participant paid a $200 entry fee, part of which went to a non-profit organization called Train 4 Autism, which aims to educate, spread awareness and raise funds for autism.
“My brother has autism, so it was perfect,” Hollowell said. “I felt like I was giving back to a cause near and dear to my heart.”
Crossing the finish line in a blazing three hours and 27 minutes, Hollowell finished just in time to earn herself a medal. More impressive, though, are the struggles Noel overcame, as she says, to “just go out there and do it.”
The first struggle of the day was seeing a man who had a bloody nose from being hit by another competitor while swimming. After seeing this, Hollowell experienced some understandable anxieties about her own safety in the water.
The day brought additional unexpected hardships when Hollowell’s bike wheels fell off. And that was not the worst of it. The most trying and terrifying part of the triathlon occurred when a large man used her as a buoy to keep himself afloat while swimming.
“When he grabbed me, he pulled me under water. I was right next to a buoy in the water, so I think he confused me with one,” Hollowell said. “When he realized what he was doing, he let go, but it was still terrifying.”
Despite these adversities, Hollowell’s positive attitude is what kept her going. Even when the course grew difficult, she stayed motivated with encouraging self-talk.
“It’s another day at the beach,” Hollowell said. “That’s what I kept telling myself.”
Participating in this triathlon also helped Hollowell cope with the loss of her cousin. Hollowell’s cousin was only 20 years old when he passed away unexpectedly from leukemia.
Although the disease can often be managed, leukemia took his life because it was not detected in time. The death was catastrophic for Hollowell and her family, but the triathlon offered a way for her to cope with the loss and honor her cousin.
In reflecting on her experience and sentiments after crossing the finish line, Hollowell explains that she was pretty emotional. “I was on the verge of tears. This was me, all me,” she said. “I felt relieved and thankful for this opportunity.”
She also expressed gratitude for all the recognition she has been receiving since the triathlon.
“I was extremely amazed,” Hollowell said. “Random people have been asking how I did. We’re a small community [at Oxy], but I still didn’t expect so many people to know about my race.”
She went on to say that all of the support from Oxy students and friends since the race has been extremely motivating.
Now that Hollowell has seen what she can accomplish with a little effort and positivity, she is ready to train for her next triathlon. Despite her aching legs, she is already expressing hopes of getting to Olympic level next year. The intensity only increases at Olympic level, which involves swimming .9 miles, biking 24 miles and running 6.2 miles.
On top of that, Hollowell hopes that she will be able to get other students on campus to join her in her newfound passion.
Overall, Hollowell is proud of her effort and is simply looking forward to bettering her performance in future competitions.
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