There are certain people in life that are simply happy people. They don’t dwell on the negative, they’re thoughtful and philosophical enough to see the big picture and have a sense of humor that has fun with life’s challenges.
I was reminded on that when I read Andy Hood’s Velonews story on Tyler Farrar’s retirement. The 33 year old from Wenatchee, Washington and Ghent, Belgium is one of those happy people. He reached a natural stopping point in didn’t step away with a bunch of what-ifs and thwarted aspirations.
“I think it was the right call to retire. I had a great run,” Farrar said. “I don’t have many regrets. The whole thing has been a dream come true. I just think how lucky I was to live that life for 15 years, and be part of that circus that it was.”
Farrar was never one of those angry, hot-head sprinters. There’s not a Nacer Bouhanni bone in his body. He never died a thousand deaths if he lost a race like Mark Cavendish. He sense of self-worth was never tied to how many victories he had during the season.
As a teenager, he travelled to Nepal and has a strong affinity for the teachings of Buddhism. In a sport driven by results and performance metrics, he was always able to practice a bit of healthy detachment from transitory highs and lows and obsessions.
Instead he’ll be remembered as a class guy, a loyal and selfless teammate and a terrific mentor. Who would every forget how emotional he was about the death of his close friend Wouter Weylandt, who died in a crash during the 2011 Giro d’Italia.
A few year back when he was with Garmin, his race director Matt White had this to say about Farrar: “He’s a sprinter, but he’s got no visible ego,” said White. “He doesn’t have the baggage other sprinters come with. He’s not a prima donna, like maybe some of the others we might know. He’s a real good kid.”
Farrar has a tattoo on the inside of his right wrist, words written in the Tibetan language: “Inner peace.” That’s why Tyler Farrar has no regrets about retiring from the sport of pro cycling. He’s at peace with the decision.
Leave A Comment