For many, like Drew Surinsky, they symbolize what it takes to jump into your second act and swim, run, and cycle in a new race for yourself, for your new life.

Drew Surinsky, 43, St. Louis, Missouri; Boulder, Colorado; and Evanston, Illinois

Act I: Attorney (assistant public defender).

Act II: Exercise physiologist, strength and conditioning coach, triathlon coach, and swim coach.

Life before the Leap

Guys like Drew of Evanston, Illinois, can attest that triathlons can be a personal reminder that tackling a new goal in life can be just as terrifying as plunging into open water and often means starting from scratch  —  but that nothing feels better than crushing a new learning curve.

That’s what happened when the then-thirty-five-year-old St. Louis native decided to shed his three-piece pinstripe and pursue his dream to help people become stronger. His real passion was swimming and coaching in the pool.

Prior to graduating with a law degree from the University of Illinois, then working as an assistant public defender and research and contract attorney, Drew had always worked in aquatics and fitness. In high school and college, he could swim faster than most people ever hope to.

But, as he grew more mature, it was time to pick what he thought he had to pick  —  an “adult” profession  —  and he majored in philosophy and choose law because it was s