It’s not the race – it’s the journey

Michael Pate is a Louisianian who wears many hats. At Farmers, he’s a claims specialist out of the Baton Rouge Property BCO. Away from the office, he’s a triathlete, author, public speaker and book reader to a class of second grade elementary school children.

Against the odds: Training for his first triathlon

When Pate’s son Christopher was born, the new dad decided it was time to take stock of his life. He was 370 pounds and came to the conclusion it was time for him to change his diet and his lifestyle. With several friends involved in triathlon, he decided to work toward the goal of completing this very grueling three-sport competition.

Pate says, “I decided not to lose weight so that I could train for a triathlon. I would use training for a triathlon to lose weight.”

His size meant it was a constant struggle for him to do the swimming, biking and running training, but he also had very supportive friends who worked with him in each sport. After eight months of grueling training, he completed his first “sprint triathlon” (a great achievement when you consider that average swim for one of these events is half a mile long, the bike leg is about 18 miles and then the run is around three miles).

“It was one of the most defining moments of my life,” says Pate. “To see blood, sweat and tears pay off in such a big way was more rewarding than I can describe in words.”

Now, four years later, he’s completed more than 20 triathlons and lost 80 pounds. He says he’s still not where he wants to be in his fitness journey, but he’s in much better shape than before he started.

Michael Pate reads Dr. Seuss to elementary school children

When Big Boys Tri: It’s Not the Race – It’s the Journey! 

During Pate’s training, he began keeping a journal. It started out as a food and exercise diary, but evolved into an inspirational book about his trials and tribulations while training for his first triathlon season: When Big Boys Tri: It’s Not the Race – It’s the Journey!

The book has sold well across the country and around the world, and his Web site (www.whenbigboystri.com) has logged more than 34,000 visitors. Pate is also a contributing editor for another Web site: www.BeginnerTriathlete.com.

"I never dreamed how much my story would mean to so many people,” says Pate, and he was stunned when CBS Evening News wanted to do a story on him for their Road to Obesity series. Pate’s story was portrayed in a very positive way, to show that you don’t have to be in shape to exercise.
Public speaking spreads Pate’s message

Another unexpected result of Pate’s book is the opportunity it’s given him to tell his story. He was keynote speaker for the Mayo Healthcare Systems Celebration of Health in Wisconsin and has since shared his inspirational story with many other groups.

Pate was particularly excited when his wife Felicia asked him to read to her second grade students at Cherokee Elementary School in Alexandria, La. “I was honored that I was able to give back to the children, show them that reading is fun, and that they really mattered to me. It’s not hard to make a difference. The hard part is deciding that you want to make a difference,” says Pate.