SOAS love to Amy

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Hearing the news about the terrible bike crash involving our teammate, Amy Gluck, deeply saddened and worried the team. As an ambassador for SOAS, Amy’s smile, strength, and determination in the sport of triathlon have served as a positive example and role model for others. Although I have not met Amy personally, I can see the impact that she has had on so many lives – both to those close to her as well as to complete strangers. We, as SOAS ambassadors, want Amy to know that we are constantly thinking about her, praying for her, and wishing her a speedy recovery. Below is a collection of our thoughts, prayers, and motivational quotes that we want to send to our teammate so she can absorb our strength and positive energy to facilitate her healing.

Karleen Dimantas:

I am deeply saddened by the news of Amy Gluck’s horrific bike crash.  I only met Amy once in Kona 2011 when all of us SOAS ladies gathered for brunch a few days before the race.  She is darling and was so excited that day to get her first Black and White Stars SOAS kit. She wore it in the race and I can remember seeing her on the course with smile, several times, on the run as we passed each other and when she blew past me.  She is a fighter and will pull through and tell us the story of how she overcame this feat.  Stay strong Amy! We love you!!!

Fall seven times, stand up eight
– Chinese proverb

“If what you’re doing is not your passion, you have nothing to lose.”
– Celestine Chua

“Don’t be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so.”
– Belva Davis

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Beth Shutt:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11

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Hailey Manning:

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination.

 - Tommy Lasorda

Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you.

- Arnold Palmer

To uncover your true potential you must first find your own limits and then you have to have the courage to blow past them.

- Picabo Street

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a   year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.

- Lance Armstrong

A champion is someone who gets up when he can't.

- Jack Dempsey

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Laura Sophiea:

Dear Amy.....Courage and strength and faith are yours!!
“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.” I will try again and again and again as long as I believe, and as long as I have faith in what I do.

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Kebby Holden:

Amy first came on my radar when she passed a good friend of mine (also named Amy) in the last 3 miles of the run for 3rd place at 2007 IMWI. She became "The Other Amy" for us in our age group. Then she pulled a similar move on me at  2009 IMLV as she whizzed by on the run to her 2nd place - gorgeous, blonde, fast, and always smiling. We chatted on that podium and stayed in touch. She was also in my circle of Tri friends thru her incredible coach & World Champ, Laura Sopheia, who is one of our SOAS gals. I just assumed Amy, with all her accomplishments and podiums and friends, would be too busy and too in demand to join our start-up SOAS team. But when we asked Laura if she thought Amy would be interested, she said "Definitely ask her!" in true Amy fashion, she jumped in with both feet and had been a tremendous ambassador for the company. Way more importantly, she has been a great friend and teammate. We feel extremely lucky to have her!

Anyone that knows Amy knows that huge smile, ripped body and flowing blonde ponytail. Her enthusiasm for life and her love of our sport is infectious! Every time I would ask somebody if they knew Amy, they'd always say, "Oh, you mean the tall, good-looking blonde that is really fast?  She is sooo nice!"  Roger that!

I am praying hard everyday for her recovery and know, being the champ she truly is, she'll come back from this terrible thing and teach us all amazing lessons from it. I, for one, can't wait.

C'mon Amy!! Your team is rooting for you!!

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Alana Kennedy:

"There is a saying in Tibetan, 'Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.' No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that's our real disaster." Dalai Lama XIV

Never lose hope.

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Andrea Astudillo:

Hi Amy,

As a friend of mine, who is a retired Navy SEAL once said to me “the human body is capable of amazing things.” This is so true! Over the past week, we have heard/seen so many stories about how strong you are and I’m looking forward to seeing you pull through this and recover like the champ that you are.  Know that you have a huge cheering squad here in San Diego and we will be cheering for you the entire way!

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.”

 – Confucius

“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Julia Polloreno:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
~Marianne Williamson

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Willow Harrington:

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I’ll be honest; I am not one for fuzzy Hallmark inspirational quotes or “Stuart Smalley” approached to personal encouragement.  Maybe I just need it simpler when I going to the wire, drool rolling down my chin, hanging on to the edge of the pain cave. Whatever the reason, I find the greatest strength and the ability to dig deep is greatly aided by 3 simple words that keep me focused on what matters.

 First and foremost, I try to remain GRATEFUL. Whatever the challenge--tough day in the office, mother of a track session, or your race just went belly-up--there is always something in that experience that you should be grateful for. Stay humble and remember that, it makes the pain (more) bearable.

COURAGE. It’s easy to let doubt creep in and to just give up. Call yourself out on it! I literally can be heard muttering under my breath at times, “Be brave.” In an interview with Lauren Fleshman about her bumpy, injured journey to the Olympic Trials, and in it she said something that totally hit home for me: “I’m not asking for a miracle. I’m asking myself to be courageous enough to step on the line less than what you want to be and let that be enough.”  Stop thinking about all the ways you could fail, fall down, blow- up or end in a less desirable result and just focus on the courage to try. 

I’m not going to lie; I am a competitive as the next girl—especially with myself. I know what I am capable of and when Im not performing, Im my worst critic. When I begin to feel myself looking for the easy way out, making excuses, or otherwise not applying myself 110%, it’s time to buckle down and TOUGHEN UP. When the positive thinking isn’t working, suck it up, do the work, and just get’er done. This may not seem like it belongs in a list of inspirational quotes, but trust me, once you push through the rough spot, you will feel like a superhero.  

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Christine Gould

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot.

- Eleanor Roosevelt

Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Amy!!! Sending you lots of SOAS love.