Living for the Challenge

Sometimes, it’s the seemingly small moments that turn into long-lasting memories. Half Ironman winner Mark van Mechelen, for example, was pleasantly surprised to be reminded of his time as team captain for the JIS High School swimming team. 

He concedes that he had forgotten about the title, attributing it to being a “small part of the overall picture.” Instead, he “vividly” recalls joining the AquaDragons and his embarrassment at having to go to the Pondok Indah Elementary (PIE) campus because he wasn’t yet fast enough to join his fellow Middle School swimmers. He remembers Pak Hamsah and Pak Rohim, and most of all, he remembers being put in his place by his then-team captain in High School after complaining “loudly” about practice one too many times.

“[He] gave me a talking-to that I will never forget: ‘No one is forcing you to be here.’ It shocked me into the realization that I did have a choice and had indeed shown up of my own volition,” he recalls. “What was I after anyway — a sense of accomplishment maybe? If so, I had better live for the challenge rather than seek to avoid it.”

This aphorism stayed with him, and he continued to swim all through university.  Ten years ago, Mark rose to yet another challenge and joined his first-ever triathlon. That competition became one of many, including the 2014 Bintan Triathlon in Riau Islands, Indonesia, and the 2019 Harryman Triathlon just outside of New York City. In September last year, he swam 1.2 miles, cycled 56 miles, then ran another 13.1 miles to finish first in the CassadagaMan in New York.

In addition to the demanding yet ultimately rewarding test of physical stamina and endurance, these competitions have been a “huge adventure” for Mark that has allowed him to meet people and make friends from various backgrounds. Thanks in part to his formative years at JIS, he says he was able to tackle these experiences head-on, including his job as a globe-trotting analyst in energy commodities.

“I am so grateful for my time at JIS and in Indonesia. Today’s world changes quickly, and the adaptability ingrained in you from an intercultural upbringing is invaluable,” Mark explains. “I think it makes you a much better teammate because your expectation is for there to be differences, whether in approach or opinion, and for these differences to contribute to progress.”