Katie Archibald column: Why I won't be getting an Ironman tattoo
“As a child I thought an Olympic tattoo wasn’t a choice but a branding that every participant was required to get”
Olympic and world champion, Katie Archibald got into cycling after winning handicap races on a Highland Games grass track. She writes a column for Cycling Weekly each week
I have the Olympic rings tattooed on the back of my arm, just above my elbow. The placement is meant to be subtle enough that I’m not a walking advertisement, ostentatious enough that you’ll notice it riding behind me. A delicate balance of pretending to be the goodie whilst actually being the arse.
If someone asks me why I had them done I respond confused. As a child I thought an Olympic tattoo wasn’t a choice but a branding that every participant was required to get and feel proud of. So I’ve always understood that if I went to a Games it would be on my skin forever.
>>> Katie Archibald column: ‘I’m not very good at riding a bike’
Even aged 20 I found it bewildering to meet Joanna Rowsell-Shand, Laura Kenny and Dani Rowe (though all with different surnames at the time) and find out there wasn’t a spec of ink on any of them.
Although, confession time, the tattoo my brother and I originally dreamed of having was the Ironman triathlon tattoo. We saw it on our first holiday in Lanzarote circa 2004 and the explanation of what this odd little symbol meant completely stunned us.
Watch: The coolest custom bikes of 2017
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Both chubby swimmers at the time, we couldn’t fathom human beings covering such a distance (4km swim, 180km bike and 42km run) and were both left enamoured, in large part because we knew we’d never be able to complete one and earn the tattoo.
It was liking dreaming of walking on the moon — people do it, just not you or me.
The shine was taken off when we realised, actually, we probably could complete an Ironman. Much like time passing faster as you get older, distances seem shorter as you get taller. And, well, it’s an open entry event. I lost almost all interest.
>>> Katie Archibald column: ‘I started dating someone who owns a drill’
But the coffin holding my Ironman dream was nailed shut for good when I got deep enough into cycling culture to learn The Rules. Because, as you well know, fellow cyclist, we’re all obliged to trash talk triathletes.
Just like wearing your glasses under your helmet straps or having mismatching kit, prefixing your ride with a swim and suffixing it with a run is forbidden.
I’ll never get that tattoo.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
-
Parlee Cycles' all-new Ouray review: a bike that goes zoom but doesn’t fit like a race bike and is made in the USA
The first new model since dealing with bankruptcy, the Ouray is a comfortable, big-tyre road bike from the storied American brand
By Tyler Boucher Published
-
Forget distance covered, these are the key stats to note in your Strava Year in Sport
We asked a coach how to best analyse our end of year Strava data
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Katie Archibald out of Paris Olympics after tripping in garden and breaking lower leg
Team GB's star rider breaks two bones in fall, out of games
By Adam Becket Published
-
Katie Archibald to miss European Championships in key Olympic year
Scot will focus on Nations Cup events ahead of Paris Olympics in August
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Katie Archibald: Track Champions League 'super important' for Olympics preparation
Olympic Madison champion looking to hone racecraft this autumn, but says she still gets nervous
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'Like being trotted out for slaughter' - Katie Archibald opens up about World Championships anxiety
The 29-year-old said she made 'mistake after mistake' in Wednesday's Omnium, in which she came fourth
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Mountain biker Rab Wardell dies two days after winning Scottish title
Wardell won elite men’s title at the Scottish MTB XC Championships in Dumfries and Galloway last weekend
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tweets of the Week: Mark Cavendish's meme, cycling Supermarket Sweep and Katie Archibald's throwback
After a big week in the cycling world, here's a selection of our favourite social media moments
By Alex Ballinger Published
-
Katie Archibald column: It's been a blast...but Tokyo beckons
In her last column (for now) Katie Archibald says goodbye as the Olympic Games loom ahead
By Cycling Weekly Published
-
Katie Archibald column: Rumours has it...
'The first time I called, I got put on hold and I loved it. Their hold music was 'The Chain' by Fleetwood Mac'
By Jonny Long Published