You’re fired!

Like any other job, there are times when you can lose your job, or for a pro triathlete—a sponsor. In some cases, it’s a business decision, removed from an athlete’s performance. Other times it may be a case of “triathletes behaving badly.” Here are a few things that fit under the heading of what NOT to do as a pro triathlete.

Not honour your contract

Some pros may think once the ink has dried on a contract and the cheque clears, their obligation to a sponsor is complete. Quite the contrary, that’s when the real work begins. Reading the fine print, sweating the details and giving those benefactors a fair return on their investment goes a long way in satisfying sponsors and staying employed.

Cheat

It would be naive to believe triathlon is immune to the scourges of doping and other types of cheating that exist in other sports. As a new pro, you didn’t decide to forego earning more money in a “traditional career” so you could travel around the world cutting corners and giving yourself an unfair advantage over your competitors. Competing fairly and being seen as one who does so, won’t only keep your sponsors happy, but you’ll also sleep better, knowing that a possible knock on the door by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport won’t be the start of some legal battle and impetus for a career change.

Ghost the universe

Any pro triathlete who goes silent on his/her sponsors and supporters is on their way to early retirement. Responding to media requests for interviews, managing your “socials” in a time-efficient manner and keeping in contact with your sponsors through both good and bad times will keep you in good graces with your tri-universe … and chequing account.

Poor race performances

This one is obvious. For fans and sponsors to continue caring about you, you need good results. Going months or years without any major wins or podium finishes should be a cause of concern for you and your team unless your sponsor(s) have pockets deeper than the Mariana Trench.