Why Not Me? The Leadership Mindset That Changes Everything
By Suzie Thoraval
What Rachel Entrekin's historic win teaches leaders about backing yourself
“If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon.”
Somewhere in the Arizona desert, at kilometre 80 of a 407 kilometre race, Rachel Entrekin made a decision. She took the lead of the entire race, men included, and held it for over 320 kilometres.
Last week, the 34-year-old from Birmingham, Alabama became the first woman in history to win the Cocodona 250 outright, one of the toughest endurance events on earth. She crossed 407 kilometres of desert terrain, climbed nearly 12,000 metres of elevation, and finished in 56 hours and 9 minutes, shattering both the women's and men's course records in the process. An amazing performance.
But here is the thing. Rachel built toward this moment over three years. In 2024, she won the women's race and finished 11th overall. In 2025, she set a new women's course record and moved to 4th overall. In 2026, she won everything. Same race, same desert, a completely different result.
That, to me, is adaptive stability. She stayed clear on her direction while adjusting her strategy under pressure.
Prepared and Present
Rachel's sleep strategy across two and a half days of racing was five-minute "dirt naps," reading what her body needed and responding quickly, staying flexible in her method while remaining unwavering in her direction.
On the start line alongside her stood Courtney Dauwalter, widely considered the greatest women's ultramarathoner of all time. Instead of being intimidated, Rachel stepped forward anyway, her mantra reportedly a simple question she kept asking herself throughout: Why not me?
Leaders who achieve adaptive stability have built a genuine relationship with pressure. They find their calm centre through the challenge, inside it, rather than waiting for conditions to settle before committing to a direction.
That combination of preparation and presence produces results that look, from the outside, like they are sudden. They rarely are. They come from years of work, consistent showing up, and from choosing to stay in the race when it would be easier to manage from the sidelines.
Applying this to your Monday morning
Rachel's story points to three rhythms worth considering for your own leadership practice.
Iterate with intention. She improved each year because she was paying close attention, so after your next high-pressure moment, take ten minutes to ask what worked, what you want to refine, and what you want to carry forward.
Recover in small doses. Rachel recharged in five-minute windows across 56 hours of racing. Find your micro-recovery moments in this week's calendar and schedule one before you think you need it.
Give yourself permission. Write down one goal you have been circling and sit with this honestly: what would shift if you decided it was genuinely yours to achieve?
When we back ourselves, and when others back us, the results can be extraordinary. Rachel Entrekin just proved that.
Here is the question I am sitting with this week:
Where in your leadership are you waiting for permission that only you can give yourself?
If this resonated, I'd love to hear what comes up for you. And if you know someone who might benefit from reading it, please feel free to share.
