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Britton Barbee

I'm An Endurance Athlete

By 29029 Everesting

October 9^th, 2020

NFL - Not For Long!

My parents created an environment where playing sports was something I wanted to do. My mother played Basketball in college. My father played football and they encouraged me to try as many sports as possible. They also made it clear that education was equally as important.

There was also a pecking order in our household. If you were going to get an education, it better be free, given that my two older siblings were also college athletes. As I got older, my talent as a Defensive Tackle allowed me to attend Texas Tech and play football for Mike Leach. I tore my Achilles in my senior year. It was a season-ending injury that was extremely hard to recover from. Both physically and mentally.

I had to make my way out of college athletics and decide what I wanted to do with my life. When you’re an athlete, you train and pursue the goal of being your best, every day for 10 years, you lose the sense of who you are outside of sports.

I identified as 'a college football player,' and all of a sudden I wasn’t.

I was also fortunate that my parents taught me that education was always going to outlast everything. I was blessed to have the opportunity to play college football, but at the same time, I was smart enough to realize that, tearing my Achilles or not, I was not going to play in the NFL.

We used to say the NFL stood for, Not For Long!

Britton Barbee

Britton Barbee

Britton Barbee

See you for who you are

My father is black, and my mother is white. My dad is from Athens, Alabama, and he grew up in the civil rights movement's height. It's horrible to think about how he was treated. And unfortunately, there is still such a divide in our country.

I didn't learn that I was black until I was eight or nine years old when I played soccer. A friend of mine had told me that the only reason I scored three goals on Saturday was that I had Oreos for breakfast. I had no idea what he meant.

So I told my mom, "Hey, you know, so-and-so's mom said I only scored goals because I eat Oreos." My mom knew that was referring to me being black and white. And my mom being the protective mother that she is, brought snacks that weekend and asked that mother to help pass out the Oreos to the kids.

My parents instilled in me not to see race, but to see the person for who they are. They also instilled a sense of humility - to be able to seek out advice and be coachable. To know that you don't have to have all the answers, you just need to know where to go to find them.

Britton Barbee

Britton Barbee

Endurance Athlete

There's not a lot of people that look like me in the Ultra Endurance world! There's not too many African American males, former football players, that weigh 300 pounds. But coming into the 29029 community has been the most welcoming, supportive group of people that I've ever been around. And it's given me the encouragement and the drive to continue. My journey to becoming an endurance athlete has been life-changing.

After college, my wife and I got married and had our daughter, and I was focused on business and trying to be a good father and a good husband. My brother gave me the book, Living With A Seal, by Jesse Itzler. That was my first introduction to someone successful in business, who also found ways to push himself. So with that inspiration, I set myself a goal of running 5km a day until my 30th birthday. Along the way, my wife and I ran a 5km Turkey Trot together, and she left me in the dust! That process unlocked something in me. It gave me a spark of possibility. It also helped erase some doubt and fear I was holding. Fear of what I was capable of and what I deserved.

I told myself that I was an endurance athlete and I never looked back.

After the running goal, I was introduced to rowing. And despite my stature, I was actually a decent rower. I was coached by US Olympian Dan Lyons, and with his suggestion, I dove right in. I noticed on the Concept 2 rowing machine website that they listed that you should train for 4 months to row a marathon. I did it the very next weekend! In fact, I didn't stop there and decided 50km was a nice round number. And with that, something changed in me. I felt alive. I felt incredible. And that feeling led me to 29029 - I saw the opportunity to take on something that I never thought was possible and to do it with a supportive community around me. Statistically, I should be last at every event I sign up for, but at 29029, that doesn't matter - all that matters is that you give it an honest effort. Everyone will arrive at 29029 with different goals, but collectively we are all seeking the same thing -- to be the best version of ourselves.

It's helped me find what I've been missing all of these years—a new identity. 'Endurance Athlete.'

Britton Barbee

Britton Barbee

Britton Barbee

Britton Barbee

Britton Barbee

Britton Barbee

Anything is possible

The process of becoming an endurance athlete has shown me I can add another level to my life. It's allowed me to unlock something extraordinary in other parts of my life, too. I am a better father, a better husband, and a better businessman. And the best thing is, my family is along for the journey and is enrolled in the process. My wife is an incredible supporter and super-mom. She has stood by me, every step of the way. I wouldn't be where I am without her love and support.

I have realized that I can do more physically and still be there for my kids. I try to train before they wake up in the morning, so I can be a dad when they get up. On most days, it feels like things move in slow motion at work. I can walk into a room knowing that I've run 15 miles that morning, and everybody else needs coffee to get going by 8:00 AM. And there is power in that. Not that you're better than anybody else, but that you're ready to attack the day and make the most of every minute. You can see that there's an unlimited possibility.

When I started this journey, I was 300 pounds. I'm now down to about 250, and that's a byproduct of the focus I have. I can make better decisions and fuel myself to have the energy to train, work, and be there for my family. I want my kids to see that no goal is too big. If you're willing to do whatever it takes to get there. Anything is possible.

Britton Barbee

29029 - The sky's the limit

I am signed up for 29029 in Utah. I've read many of the stories and watched all the videos. It was a shame that we couldn't climb together this year. But, it's made me extra hungry for next year. I can't wait to get to the mountain in Utah and see what I can do. The 29029 community is like no group of people I've ever been a part of. It's incredible that through what we've all dealt with in 2020, the community has grown stronger than ever. I wear the bracelet on my wrist every day, and it says, "Keep Climbing." I see it in every workout, and it's a reminder that I am not doing this alone. There are folks that I talk to daily, that I feel very close to, that I've never physically met! I speak with people like Shawn Doss, I mean, I've never met the guy, but here we are sharing stories and keeping each other motivated from across the country.

When I close my eyes, I can imagine myself standing on the start line at Snowbasin. I can feel the wind, I can hear the chatter of those around me. I see the headlamps of everyone taking on the first hike. I listen to everyone's poles hitting the ground. I can picture myself standing and waiting for the gondola to take me back down the mountain. And as I think of that morning, the 6:00 AM start time, the thoughts of how painful the next 36 hours will be are on my mind. That's a given -- It's not going to be easy, but none of us would have signed up for it if it was.

I look forward to the sights, the sounds, and the smells.

I can picture it so clearly. It's so vivid, and having to wait a year will make the whole experience even more meaningful. The group that participated in the 29029 Virtual Utah event became so close - it's going to be like a family reunion when we all get together in August 2021.

My goal has gone from, I want to finish this, to, how can I help somebody else get what I've gotten out of this community. This community has taken me to a level that I didn't think was possible for myself. And now, I know the sky's the limit.

Britton Barbee

Britton Barbee

Britton Barbee

Britton Barbee

Britton Barbee

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Footnotes

Words and photos by Britton Barbee, Written and published by Travis McKenzie

FootNotes

Words and photos by Britton Barbee, Written and published by Travis McKenzie

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