People always wonder why pros prefer home stays at most races. Why not stay in a “nice hotel” and “rest up for the race?”

There are many reasons why home stay families are the best way of experiencing away from home racing: (in no particular order)

– When you travel as much as we do, you hate hotels. Globally they are all the same- personality free, bland, boring and those cheap fake-eggs-from-a-carton breakfasts will make you lose weight at the wrong time and from the wrong cause and nobody means “good morning!”

– Cost. Say we race 10 times a year. (usually more) Say you spend 4 nights. (sometimes 5) Say a cheap hotel costs $60 a night. You cant cook in the hotel room, (you can only boil rice and eggs in the kettle a few times before the whole places’ electricity trips) so you have to eat greasy restaurant food. ($40/day for basic food. For some “people with jobs” $40 is only Starbucks money…

That makes  $4000+ for bare bones shelter, basic food  and the cheapest flights available.  Maui is MUCH more expensive and we stay much longer) And traveling to the East Coast could be $800. Now add the rental car ($200) the plane ticket ($400 avs) and bike fee ($100 to $240) Thats 10 trips of $700+ , plus shelter & food gives you $11 000 to $15 000 a year in basic expenses for getting to races.  Also, remember, this is certainly not football, so diamond encrusted bling is less prevalent in triathlon.  This year, 1st place at a regional XTERRA pays $1800. Only 1 guy & girl gets to win every time, so it gets much harder for the neo pros. Would be nice if it was like golf, where even the last pro at least covers their expenses.

Now for happy stories:

– A home stay with a real  local family will let you really experience the town, its culture and most importantly its people. Of the 100s of home stays I have had over many years, I have had only 1  disappointment.- The family in Bermuda thought because I’m from South Africa I must be black, and were sorely disappointed when a skinny white guy rocked up at their doorstep.

– Your home stay family will know exactly where is the best bike shop, pool, coffee shop, health food store and post race beer place. Most likely, they’ll also know the race course like the back of their hand (as they are likely also race) and if you are lucky they could even show you the best lines and predict what the terrain will do when the weather changes.

– Your “people” will probably have at least 1 meal or BBQ held “for you”. A great place to meet and mingle with more local athletes & families.

– Your local family will obviously have some interest in triathlon and will be happy to experience “how the pros does it”. (Usually its a bit of a let down, as most XTERRA pros are disappointingly “normal” and laid back. There is no “secret race winning meal” or “if you do 10 jumping jacks 2 hrs before the start, you’ll have a great race” quick fix.)

However, your host family is usually wildly impressed by race day speed/smoothness and bling equipment. (even though your bike is worth more than the last 3 cars you owned together) You may be regarded as the neighborhood hero for a few days. Sporty friends my come over for a quick “visit” (but pretend to borrow a tool) or  a casual meal with their friends to “view the pro.”

Kids are easily inspired to become triathletes, they gawk admiringly and ask many questions (usually about the animals in Africa) and they especially cherish signed posters or shirts. To me, seeing the inspiration and energy of the kids  is one of the best parts of the Home stay Ponzy Scheme.

People become inspired by rubbing shoulders with great athletes, and athletes cherish friendships and experiences built in the name of sport. In my opinion- the worlds’ most common denominator and breaker of barriers.

I could (should!)  write a whole book on the amazing stories and memories made possible by the selfless home stay families, but here are just a few:

– In Richmond I stayed with Kevin Connor for 4 years and when he got married, I was passed on to his friend Spike and her family for the past 4 years. I somehow inspired their son Garrett to get back on his bike (when he was 5) after he broke his elbow on the 1st ride without the training wheels…. (sounds kind of familiar)  The nasty cut on my foot (more here) happened in Richmond and of course Spike and her family took care of me like I was part of their family. Spike (actually Ann) rides quite a bit of mountain bike and she knows all the great sports doctors in Richmond. (Matt Marchal, Moose Herring and Rob Green) Between herself, Garrett and Alan, (all ride bikes)  and Dan Hugo they do have quite a bit of frequent flier miles at the doctors office…

– Casey Fannin from Alabama is a multiple XTERRA World champion in his age group (45-50), so we see each other quite a bit during the year, and when we stay at his house its like visiting family over Christmas. (in a good way!) They promised to come visit in South Africa.

– In 1996 I raced the ITU World Cup in Bermuda and found I couldnt leave the island because of a complications with the Green Mamba. (Try global travelling on a South African passport once in your life…) Keith Spengler is a South African ex pat, and we met briefly after the race. He invited me to stay with them the following year. When I was kicked off my early morning flight, I had no idea what to do. (I sat dejectedly on the curb and ate a can of corn from my backpack. This old black guy sat next to me and said in this slow Bermuda drawl “Don choo just loooove corn… I can eat corn any time of the day.” – See more common ground through sport!) When I was done with the corn I called Keith’s home number a year early. His wife Wendy just had a baby answered and I said: “You dont know me, but I met your husband yesterday at the race. I’m stuck on the island and dont have anywhere to go.” She told which buses to take and met me on the doorstep. A looong story short- it took me 3 weeks to get the right visa to leave the island. When the Spenglers’ parents came to visit to see the baby, I was passed on to their friends, the Lloyds from Canada. I trained in the beautiful tropical waters and rode around the amazing island many times. (about 3hrs around) I became a bit of a celebrity (the visa story was a good one) and won the 2,5mi Herrinton Sound open water swim and a handicap 5k run. Actually I finished 2nd in the run, but because I weighed more than the winner, I won. It was a weight handicap…

Wendy and little Liam Spengler. I know purple was hot those days…

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