Editor’s Note: Douglas Mogle is one of six CNN viewers selected to be a part of the Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge program. Follow the “6-pack” on Twitter and Facebook as they train to race the Nautica Malibu Triathlon with Dr. Sanjay Gupta on September 8.
Story highlights
Douglas Mogle is training for the Nautica Malibu Triathlon with CNN Fit Nation
An old baseball T-shirt reminds Mogle that he has an inner athlete waiting to appear
What's in your drawer? Share a favorite T-shirt on Instagram using hashtag #TshirtTales
You can tell a lot about a person by the T-shirts they wear. Each T-shirt has a story to tell – a story that, in some cases, can span decades.
Where did they go to college? What sports did they play in high school? Do they run 5Ks or marathons?
I, myself, have a favorite T-shirt – size medium. It’s navy blue, and I received it for attending a baseball camp when I was 11.
Attending that camp was one of the highlights of my youth. I wore that T-shirt more than I should have. In high school, I would wear it underneath my soccer and baseball jerseys. In college, it served as my personal pick-up basketball uniform.
I still have that T-shirt. Today, it’s resting safely in a drawer at home. The sleeves are missing, and it’s a tad tight, but I still have the tee and everything it represents. To me, it stands for countless hours of hard work and sweat. It stands for my love of sports that was second to none.
What would I find if I were to go through your stack of T-shirts? What T-shirts would you be proud of? Which ones would define you?
Getting fit for the family I love
As you know, my goal is to complete the Nautica Malibu Triathlon in September with my fellow Fit Nation teammates. At the end of the race we will undoubtedly be handed an official race T-shirt. (Last year’s T-shirt was black and looked really cool.)
Now, I’m not implying that I am running the race solely to inherit another T-shirt, but it will surely be a great reminder of the experience. Needless to say, the T-shirt will be one that I cherish.
When I die, I want the people packing up my belongings to find my collection of old T-shirts. Hopefully, after sifting through the stacks, they’ll find my 2013 Malibu triathlon shirt and wonder, “How did he get this? Did he really run a triathlon?”
If only they knew. If only they knew about the hard work that went into earning that T-shirt. That T-shirt will have a story to tell, too. One that began on a cold day in January 2013, and hopefully, one that will never end.
Do you have a favorite T-shirt you’ll never give away? Share a photo of it on iReport or Instagram using the hashtag #TshirtTales
