This season won’t see Drew Scott step on the start line at Ironman 70.3s around the globe. Instead this May he will join the Great Northern Fire Crew (Type 2 Initial Attack) based in Condon, Montana to fight wildfires in the Western United States.
Slowtwitch: What led you to switch from professional triathlete to Wildland firefighter in Montana?
Drew Scott It was something that had been brewing for quite a while. I think it just took me some time to finally accept that I was not enjoying triathlon anymore as I had when I first got into the sport and needed to make a change. I fell into a bad rut for a couple years and needed some spark to get me going again. I’m happier now than I have been in a long time and enjoying some new experiences in life.
ST: How hard was it to make this decision?
Drew: It was very hard to step away from triathlon at first because it has been such a big part of my life for a long time. Wildland firefighting was something that really sparked my interest and it allowed me to shift gears pretty quickly once I decided to stop racing and pursue another career. Once I made the decision, I immediately began doing all I could to try and get a position with a federal crew for the 2018 season. I emailed crews all over the US and spoke with dozens of them prior to getting hired on the Great Northern Fire Crew. It’s a very well respected crew and one that I had heard great things about. I will have the opportunity to gain plenty of experience in my first season there while learning from some very seasoned Wildland firefighters.
ST: After seven years of pursuing triathlon with some success, what left you wanting something different, something more?
Drew: The answer is quite simple. I just wanted to be happy! I had some amazing experiences while competing in triathlon and met many friends that I will be in touch with for the rest of my life. I was also very lucky to have had great support from sponsors throughout my career that made it possible to pursue triathlon. I never set out to be a professional triathlete and it was just something that came about after I got into the sport. For better or worse, I have always been an all or nothing kind of person. So while I was competing in triathlon, I truly dedicated my whole life to it. It was difficult for me to separate from the sport and keep other passions that I had alive. I had an expectation for myself to perform and it just felt like I was fighting nearly every year to get my body right again after some crash or injury.
ST: What effect did your crash while training for Ironman South Africa in 2013 have on your relationship with triathlon? Long term, how did the compression fractures of your spine affect you physically and mentally?
Drew: That was a tough one to swallow. It was a big trip over there for the race and then to not even be able to start was very frustrating. I tried running several times in the days leading up to the race after I had crashed and couldn’t make it more than 200 meters down the street without a shooting pain up my spine. 42km wasn’t going to happen! Once I got home and had an MRI to properly diagnose it, physically I healed quite well and didn’t have any major hiccups. I had dealt with several injuries so coming back was nothing new for me, but the grind of having to pick myself up again to get back in race shape was not as easy. After a good race at ITU Worlds last year [6th place], I just sputtered out at the end of the year. You can’t fake it at this level and I think I just tried to string things along as best I could for too long when I was not at my best mentally.
ST: Were you required to do an introductory session to be accepted into the firefighting ranks?
Drew: I took a course in October of last year over 4-5 days where I received my basic FFT2 (firefighter type 2) certification. I will complete more training when I begin work in May over the first several weeks and this will likely continue throughout the season. I will have plenty to learn!
ST: What advice did you get from the Wildland firefighters you have met?
Drew: One of my friends while I was nordic skiing at Montana became a wildland firefighter and recently I asked him what can I do to best prepare? Coming from triathlon, I've always been a lanky guy - not a lot of muscle on me. One way was hiking with 50-60 pounds of weight in my pack up steep climbs and spending more time in the gym.
ST: What was the most important advice?
Drew: The biggest thing I learned is you develop a close sense of camaraderie with the rest of your crew. I will be going there and 20 of us will be together for six months straight. You will get to know each other quite well. Of course you have to be aware when you are working together on a fire. You watch out for each other.
ST: Does the fact that you will be helping a lot of people appeal to you?
Drew: It is nice to know that you will have a pretty big impact on a lot of different people. Triathlon can be a pretty selfish sport at times. I always hoped I could inspire other people. I would always go out of my way to chit chat with other people at races to try to help grow the sport. But there came times when I sat back and wondered, “What am I really doing to help other people?”
ST: What do you think of the potential danger?
Drew: Until I work in my first wildfire that is a hard question to answer. I think the knowledge of your crew is critical. Having a good crew leader goes a long way. Obviously their biggest concern is the safety of their crew. So they are not going to throw their crew into situations that are extremely dangerous. I spoke with a friend in a hot shot crew and he said that there are very few times when they sit back and say, “That was really scary. That was dangerous.” I think it will take time getting used to working on a fire line. One of the things I noticed when I took a preliminary course last October - it was pretty impressive the amount of heat. If you are standing in front of a three or four foot flame it is quite hot. That gets your attention.
ST: Do you think about the risks?
Drew: The danger hasn’t crossed my mind too much. Again it is something I want to do. I am excited about it. I feel like I have a new spark. So for me I just want to enjoy life as much as I can. It is just silly not to wake up every day and be excited about what you are doing.
ST: Given your accident in South Africa in 2013 and your dad’s serious injuries when hit by a car in Boulder, triathlon is not perfectly safe either is it?
Drew: It is very different. I believe riding your bike outside is statistically more dangerous that being on a fire line. Just the other day another cyclist was hit and killed in Boulder. You try and ride as safe as you can. But there is only so much you can do when you are riding near these vehicles that weigh a ton. I always try to be as aware as possible on my bike. Ride on the shoulder and do what you can. I never had an incident with a car. Obviously my dad did. We are all aware of the risks. Now people are riding together online with Zwift. And people race digitally. That never really appealed to me. [CHUCKLES.] Yeah. For me, you can’t go riding in fear every day.
ST: What element of your triathlon training plays a part in your readiness?
Drew: I would say that the biggest asset for me is having competed in endurance sports for most of my life. Hopefully that will bode well for me on some of the long 14-16 hour days that I will likely have on fires. It has been fun to change things up in my routine and do some different activities to stay in shape. Running a fast 10k or half marathon off the bike and hiking with 55lbs up several thousand feet are very different, so I’m trying to adapt and prepare as best I can. I know there will also been some very challenging moments mentally where hopefully I can draw on my experiences throughout racing/training to get me through those. I have spoken with many current and former Wildland firefighters to try to get as much insight as possible.
ST: You have had many highlights as a triathlete - including that overall win at Boulder Peak, the first overall at Buffalo Lake Springs, an excellent finish at Collegiate Nationals, a qualification for Kona, a win at Silverman 70.3, and 6th at the 2017 ITU Long Distance Worlds. Which of those are you most proud and why?
Drew: Buffalo Springs 70.3 in 2012 when I was an amateur still stands out as my most memorable day. I just remember being on cloud nine after that race and I think it was even more special because I never expected a result like that at the time. That race really sparked the idea of competing professionally in triathlon and gave me the confidence to make that jump.
ST: What was it like working with your dad and your mom in triathlon training?
Drew: My dad was my coach for the early years of my triathlon career, so he was obviously very involved at that time with my day-to-day training. I continued to swim in my dad’s group once or twice a week even after I began working with Matt Dixon 2 years ago. I would still reach out to him from time to time for advice but preferred to keep him as my dad rather than coach! It was challenging at times to separate the two while he was coaching me.
My mom has been a swim coach for a long time after competing at a very high level and is great working with children. Occasionally, I would have to try to keep up with her for a 50 meter sprint in the pool during a workout (rarely would I win!). But for the most part, she was never too involved in the triathlon world and was always good at discussing things outside of triathlon.
ST: What were some of the most important things you learned from your dad?
Drew: To always have a relentless work ethic and pursue your passions in life no matter what.
ST: From your mom?
Drew: To never take myself too seriously! Her positivity in life, even when things aren’t great, is also something that I hope I can emulate throughout my own life.
ST:What did you take away from seeing your dad race Kona in 1994? That walk with your brother and your dad back up the finish chute - and the cheers?
Drew: I was only 3 years old at the time, so I’m not really sure it left a big mark on me! I think that is probably a good reminder that regardless of what sort of day you have at a race, even the Ironman World Championships, your family is still there for you. I was probably hanging out on the beach all day and whether he won the race or DNF’d it wouldn’t have changed things. He was still my dad at the end of the day.
