Former U-M Swimmer, Decorated Triathlete Potts Serving as Guide for US Paralympian
8/25/2021 10:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving, Features, Olympics
For most of his life, Andy Potts has had one goal in mind: represent the United States in the Olympic Games. He started competing internationally at 16 and seemed to be well on his way to that goal, competing for the University of Michigan men's swimming and diving team, winning two Big Ten Conference team titles, earning All-America honors as well as being named All-Big Ten first team. But the U.S. Olympic team did not happen. At least not at first.
Potts, who graduated in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in English and a secondary teaching certificate, was a four-year letterwinner of the Michigan swim team, as well as a member of the U-M track and field team in his fifth year. After falling short of the U.S. Olympic swim team in 1996, something clicked for Potts as he watched triathlon make its Olympic debut at the 2000 Sydney Games.
"I always thought I would make the Olympics in swimming, but I never did," said Potts. "I just wasn't quite good enough, and that's OK. I watched the triathlon debut in 2000 and thought to myself 'That's my way in. That's how I'm going to make the Olympics. I'm going to be a triathlete.'"
Andy Potts
Potts made his debut as a triathlete in 2002 and by Mother's Day of 2004, he had qualified to represent America at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. After only 22 months in the sport, he finished 22nd in Athens.
"There's a rhythm to not only the cadence of the stroke, but there's also a breathing rhythm to (triathlon)," explained Potts. "So I would breathe and find that rhythm that I had built in my swimming years, and then running actually married the fastest in terms of the rhythm. It took a little while longer to create that on the bike. When I first started I was known as a swimmer, and as I progressed my run became my biggest weapon, but I didn't lose the swim. Now I'm actually riding better than my swimming and running."
Since the start of his career, he has competed in triathlon and Ironman competitions all over the globe, having won more than 50 races. He earned the title of Ironman Champion eight times, was the 2007 Ironman 70.3 World Champion, and was named USAT Triathlete of the Year four times. Now, he has added a new accolade to his storied career: the first United States athlete to be both an Olympian and Paralympian.
Potts will serve as a guide for blind triathlete Kyle Coon at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
Coon is considered a VI1 athlete, which means his vision is 100-percent impaired. He lost his sight at an early age due to cancer and had to have both eyes removed. Now, with Potts as his guide, the two will compete in the Paralympic triathlon, which consists of a 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike and five-kilometer run.
For visually impaired athletes, the athlete and guide are tethered together on the swim, thigh to thigh, while the guide's head cannot be more than 1.5 meters ahead of the triathlete's head. On the bike they are a tandem, with Potts serving as the pilot and Coon as stoker. On the run the two are connected at the waist by a 50-centimeter tether, and at no time can the guide's hips be ahead of the runner's. Potts is tasked with keeping Coon on course, also while helping the pair stick to their gameplan.
"For me, its Kyle's race and I'm trying to remove obstacles and hurdles that are in his way as a blind athlete," said Potts. "My job as a guide, first of all, is to remove obstacles for Kyle so he can have the best day possible. After that, it's how can we take advantage of our strengths; my strengths as an individual, Kyle's strengths individually, and our strengths as a team."
In July 2019, Potts was at the USA Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., near where he calls home with his wife Lisa (Simes), who won five Big Ten individual championships while on the Michigan women's gymnastics team, and their two children. This proximity allows Potts to do what he does most when he is not training or racing: sharing his passion of triathlon and tips from nearly 20 years in the sport. In this particular instance, he had finished a talk and was in the cafeteria when Team USA wheelchair triathlete Howie Sanborn mentioned he knew a guy that needed a guide and asked if Potts would be interested in helping. Potts and Coon eventually connected, but the two did not take their first ride until nearly a year later because of the pandemic.
"We hopped on and hit it off right away," said Potts of his initial ride with Coon. "I've got a wealth of knowledge I'm trying to bring to the table. I'm not Kyle's coach, I'm just his guide. But at the same time, I can end up coaching him a little bit in the moment."
Andy Potts, left, and Kyle Coon
The opportunity is a thrill for Potts, but not only because it is a chance to help Coon earn a Paralympic medal.
"This is an opportunity to give back to the whole sport of triathlon as well as the sporting world," said Potts. "It's something we talk about at Michigan a lot: being Leaders and Best. Being a champion in life. It's something that (current head swimming coach) Mike Bottom talks about, creating men and women to go off into the world and make a real impact."
Coon and Potts made a statement in early March, taking first place in the Sarasota-Bradenton Triathlon in Florida. Coon then took silver at the Americas Triathlon Para Championships in Pleasant Prairie, Wis., in June. Now Coon, with Potts as his guide, heads to Tokyo looking to bring home a Paralympic medal.
"Words can't do justice to how rewarding this is," said Potts. "Sharing the race course with Kyle, we're showing athletes of all kinds that you can get out there and do amazing things. That's why I've stuck with triathlon into my 40s. I want to show people age is just a number. You can be fast after 40 just as you were before 40. It's about getting out there and making something better out of your life and yourself. And this is just another shining example.
"For a lot of my career, it was -- for lack of a better word -- a selfish endeavor. I'm out there trying to achieve things in my career as a professional athlete. I wouldn't do it if Kyle wasn't the right guy, but he is. There are sacrifices we all make along the way, and this is just a way for me to show that I want to leave the sport better than I found it."
The Paralympic triathlon takes place at Odaiba Marine Park as Coon and Potts compete Friday (Aug. 27) at 7:30 p.m. EDT (8:30 a.m. Saturday in Japan) and will be broadcast on the Olympic Channel.
