At Robin Hood, we consider ourselves a fairly high-performing group, especially when it comes to our work. However, we met someone last night who defines dedication, success and determination: four time and reigning Ironman World Champion, Chrissie Wellington.

Chrissie spoke at our offices to a group of approximately 45 Robin Hood supporters. Nearly all of the people in the room have raised money for (and awareness about) Robin Hood while running marathons and completing triathlons. It was the first time that all three of our teams, the NYC Marathon team, the NYC Ironman team and Robin Hood’s Team Endurance were in one place. Needless to say, there was a lot of athletic talent and very little body fat in the room.

Within the triathlon community, Chrissie is extremely well known. She is the only triathlete, male or female, to have won the World Championship less than a year after turning professional, an achievement which the British Triathlon Federation described as "a remarkable feat, deemed to be a near impossible task for any athlete racing as a rookie at their first Ironman World Championships." Wellington is one of only three women to have achieved three consecutive victories at the Ironman World Championship and is the current world record holder. In fact, she holds the four fastest times ever recorded by a woman over the Ironman distance, and has the greatest number of sub-9 hour times: nine.

Chrissie’s love for the sport is apparent by her ever present smile. When asked about this last night, Chrissie admitted, “I truly am happy when I am racing. I absolutely love it.”

And while being a four-time Ironman World Champion is an amazing accomplishment, Chrissie hopes to use her accomplishments in sport as a way to have an even greater impact on the world. She stated that “sport has a tremendous power and can be a force for considerable change. I feel very strongly that as a professional triathlete my impact and message should be wider than  my performance on the race course, and last longer than my athletic career.”

At Robin Hood, we believe this is the attitude of a true champion. Thank you, Chrissie, for all you are doing. You are an incredible role model within the triathlon community and beyond.