Back to 'Tri' Again...A 'Full Circle’ Journey

My athletic journey is one that has always brought me such joy, meaning and perspective. It has often been what drives me to be a better person, woman, partner and leader. After spending 12 years racing the sport of triathlon around the world, with 8 of those years racing as a professional long course triathlete, I ended up taking this year (2021) off from triathlon learning how to mountain bike…and I fell in love with it! I love the freedom mountain biking brings. I embrace the challenge and the experience of mastering a sport that takes strength, skill, endurance and mental tenacity. I spent this year absolutely devoted to mountain biking and ended my season with a podium finish at the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships unknowingly two weeks pregnant at the time! Mountain biking was just the thing I needed to renew my love of sport, adventure and the pursuit of my best self.

Once Steven and I found out I was pregnant, the priorities shifted to growing a little human. I have stayed very active through my pregnancy and would even categorize a portion of what I do as actual ‘training’ (a very loose term when pregnant). As 2021 unfolded and the end of the mountain biking season set in, I found myself gravitating more and more towards the urge to go out for a run or head to the pool for a swim. That fire that used to burn so strong in me for triathlon has been reignited. I recall having an incredibly vivid dream about racing a triathlon and will never forget how I felt in that dream…I was so filled with joy and excitement. With every passing day the sport began tugging more and more at my heart.

A couple of weeks ago I woke up on a beautiful Sunday morning in early November and it was like I was ready to give triathlon another go again…another “tri” if you will! However, I knew exactly the direction in which I wanted to go…off-road triathlon, with the ultimate goal for 2022 being to qualify for and race at the XTERRA World Championships in Hawaii. Now that I am proficient and strong on the mountain bike, this opens up a new world to me: the XTERRA triathlon. This format of triathlon consists of a lake or ocean swim, a mountain bike and a trail run. In the past I had always wanted to pursue XTERRA racing but did not have the mountain biking experience to race.

I can see now how a year away from triathlon was not an end but rather a pause to allow for a new beginning. My ‘plan ahead’ brain often likes to come to absolute conclusions rather then looking at each new experience as a stepping stone on the journey forward. At the end of last year I thought triathlon would end up being a passion of the past. I believe being pregnant has opened up my mind to new possibilities and helped me embrace the process rather than always looking for the ‘finish line.’ This year was the perfect stepping stone to the next phase of my athletic career and I am so excited to continue this triathlon journey!

Of course this new journey now entails a baby on the way! Leave it to me to decide to take on a big goal while 6 months pregnant! There’s no better time than NOW, I say! Team Wilke is all in, as is my coach and family. Emi Wilke is going to watch her mama go for big goals in big ways and I can’t think of a better way to raise a strong, capable and resilient woman.

Follow along on my XTERRA journey on instagram and view my tentative 2022 race schedule here.

Let’s go!