>>>>>VITALS

NAME: Andrew “Andy” Potts

NICKNAME(S): Bootsie (but you have to know why to call me that)

MARITAL STATUS: Married – to Lisa Marie Simes (Jan. 30th 2004) She was a former Cirque du Soliel artiste for the "O" show in Las Vegas as well as a former Canadian National Team Gymnast. We met at Michigan where she was a gymnast and I was a swimmer.

DATE OF BIRTH: 12/28/76

WEB PAGE: www.andypottstri.com – you’re on it

NATIONALITY: American

CURRENT RESIDENCE: Colorado Springs, CO

EDUCATION: BA – English; The University of Michigan - Go Blue!

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 175

FAVORITE RACE: Olympics!

FAVORITE TRAINING RIDE: Believe it or not, I love to ride my trainer. It is kind of strange but I love the consistency it gives me and the fact that I can watch my favorite sporting events at the same time can't be beat.

AVERAGE DAY CONSISTS OF: Swim in the morning (1.5 hours) then grab a huge breakfast. Take a nice break to catch up with all of my friends and bother all of my sponsors. Then ride (2 hours) and run (45+ min) in the afternoon. I finish off the day with a great dinner; my wife is an awesome chef!

ANY MENTORS: I have a bunch but my hero is my wife. She was recently diagnosed with cancer and she has shown me the true meaning of perseverance. Her spirit and outlook on life is so positive that it makes me a better person to be around her. I also consider my parents to be the biggest influence in my life. They taught me what it means to work hard, to have goals, and to never give up on your dreams.

FAVORITE RACE FOOD: Anything with carbs! That no carb diet is for the birds. I love all kinds of breads and pasta, especially pizza. Bring on the carbs baby.

WORST EXPERIENCE IN A RACE: Having a mechanical problem (flat tire or anything bike mechanical). It has nothing to do with your preparation, only with bad luck. Races should be decided by the athletes not left up to chance.

FUNNY MOMENTS IN A RACE: I’ve got lots, most of them involve me making a bonehead mistake because I didn’t know any better. For instance, in my first World Cup (St. Anthony’s in 2003) I thought that it would be a smart thing to undo my chinstrap before I got off of my bike to save time in transition. Well, I didn’t know this was against the rules – so when I got to my bike rack an official was waiting for me with a 10 second penalty. I stood there in transition while everyone ran past me. I wasn’t amused at the time but I (and lots of my friends) had a good laugh about it afterwards. Just like me to learn my lessons the hard way.

EATS: Chocolate chip banana bread; Lisa bakes when I am away so I always come home to delicious home cooked surprises. She has also has me eating a lot healthier and I’ve found a whole new food group that I like to eat now – vegetables. Since I’ve been married I’ve started to eat – nuts, fish – including sushi, salads, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, and all kinds of fruit. Plus, I’ve started to curb my sweets intake only indulging once in a while.

IF I WASN’T A TRIATHLETE I’D BE…: A swim coach, preferably at the University of Michigan. Swimming is my first love and I intend to go back to my roots after I am done with triathlons (which will be a little while).

HOBBIES: I love watching sports, especially college football! Most Saturdays in the fall I’ll plan my training around when the Michigan game is on TV. It is just what any dedicated fan would do. I also enjoy doing lots of activities outside (when I have the energy) like skiing, hiking, and all sorts of water sports. When I don’t have the energy to venture outside, I always enjoy a good read.

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MY STORY: Twenty-two months before the 2004 Athens Olympic Games I decided to train full time as a triathlete to try and realize my childhood dreams of becoming an Olympian.  I had quit my job (I worked as a sales rep for a payroll company who specialized in payroll and small business solutions) in Chicago and decided to buy a bike and give triathlons a try.  Why triathlons?  Well, ever since I was little people had been telling me that I would be a good triathlete. 

Before I qualified for the 2004 Olympics, I had only been in the sport for 18 months. However, my Olympic dreams have been with me for 15 years where I started out my athletic career as a swimmer. As a swimmer I reached collegiate (University of Michigan) national and international success. Most notably was my finish at the 1996 Olympic Trials where I finished 4th in the 400 IM. At the end of 1999 I decided to hang up my suit and retire from sports. It took me more than two full years after seeing triathlon make its debut at the Sydney Games in 2000 to get interested in sports again. My Olympic dreams were officially rekindled in June of 2002 when I started training full time for my new sport. I believe that my newfound success in triathlon is a direct result of all of the lessons and hard work from my swimming days.

I qualified for the USA Olympic team at the 2004 World Championships in Madeira, Portugal (it was my first World Championships) where I finished 11th. When I crossed the finish line I wanted to celebrate with anyone and everyone. However, since I was racing in a foreign country my loved ones were not there to watch me race. That experience has made me realize how much my family and friends mean to me and how much I want them to be at the Olympic Games to share in the total Olympic experience.

Since I turned professional I have needed my family and friends even more than ever. It has not been easy to balance the everyday tasks along with training for three different disciplines. My family and friends have been the backbone of my success and I would never have come so far so fast without their love and support. That is why having them at the Olympics (specifically my wife – Lisa, my mom – Hattit, my dad – Buzz, my sister – Alice, and my brother – Tyler, and my best friend since childhood - Tommy).  Experiencing and racing in the Olympics would not have been possible without my family and friends and it would also not have been as rewarding if they were not there to share in the experience as well.

I have continued to train and race in triathlons since the Olympics in Athens.  I have raced on five continents and I have gotten to travel the world.  2005 was my most successful year as a triathlete, I wrapped up the year finishing 9th in the world.

My early success has not come without a price though.  It has taken a lot of hard work, sweat, and miles to improve as fast as I have.  I wouldn’t be half the athlete that I am if I didn’t have the love and support of my beautiful wife, Lisa.  2005 as been a great year but it has also been a very trying year for us.  After the Olympics, Lisa and I learned that she has cancer.  She has had to undergo radiation therapy, two surgeries to remove 5 tumors, and all the while having it spread from her neck into her lungs.  We have had some positive early results and we will surely continue the fight.  She is where I get all of my inspiration and she is why I never forget how fortunate I am to do what I do.  We are positive that she will be cancer free soon and we will continue to grow together for the rest of our lives! 

QUOTE TO LIVE BY: Live your dreams!