Andy Potts “Hopes To Put On A Good Show” In Philly
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Andy Potts talks about life as a professional triathlete as he preps to race in the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon.
Andy Potts had been retired from swimming for the better part of six months, and his dream of splashing to a finish in the Olympics was dashed. Maybe that’s why he decided to take his buddy’s bet in the fall of 1999.
Who knew at that point that Potts would become the top-ranking triathlete in the top pro series in the country – the LifeTime Series – after earning three wins and one second-place finish so far this year?
Back then, Potts, a fifth-year senior at the time, had just finished his season as captain of the Michigan swimming team. His four-year career was over, and he didn’t have many options in front of him. He was a six-time NCAA all-American, and he had traveled with the U.S. national team for three years. But this was the end of the line.
“There just weren’t as many viable options for swimmers professionally,” Potts said.
That night, Potts claimed he could join the track team. So his friend on the team challenged him to show up for practice the next day. He did, and he made the team. But…
“I was kind of a workout dummy,” Potts said. “That was my contribution to the team, just someone they could beat up on, measure their improvement by.”
On Sunday, in the seventh annual Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon, Potts will be the athlete against whom others measure their performances.
“This will be the closest to my old stomping grounds that I’ve ever raced,” Potts, 34, said. “Hopefully, I can put on a good show.”
Read more: Philly.com