I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what makes certain people strive to be competitors. Why do some of us get up at 5 a.m. on a Saturday, peer out our windows at the dark and the rain and promptly lace up our shoes to go to a race? Why do we pay for coaches, follow training schedules and find ourselves drawn to people who do the same thing? Why is it that we would rather get up in the morning and swim laps than spend an extra hour hitting the snooze button? I’m not sure what gives some of us that competitive spirit, but I think it has to do with our need to transcend mediocrity. There simply is nothing like testing yourself and discovering you’re pretty darn strong.

Ronnie Dickson knows all about this concept. The University of South Florida junior grew up with a disease that stunted the growth of his left leg, but he still managed to play goalie for his high-school soccer team and swim the 200-yard freestyle. When his doctors finally had no choice but to amputate his afflicted leg, Ronnie responded by taking up bouldering - and earning second place at a national competition two years later. But Ronnie's competitive spirit still wasn't satiated; he wanted to run like all his friends could. He got a better prosthetic and taught himself to jog. In February, he finished his first 5K. You can read Ronnie's amazing story in these pages.

Another incredible competitor I'd like to introduce you to is Mike Lenhart, an Atlantan who many of you already know. Mike is an athlete in the purest sense of the word - he gives his best to every endeavor, he never takes shortcuts, and he goes well above the call of duty to give back to our active community. In 2006, Mike formed an organization called the Getting2Tri Foundation, which helps integrate physically challenged athletes into the triathlon community. Today, the organization works with dozens of wheelchair, amputee and muscular-disorder triathletes, holds a sold-out preseason training camp and gives local volunteers an unparalleled way to share their talents and enthusiasm with others.

Given all that Mike has done for this community and the kind of person he is, I am extraordinarily proud to announce that he has accepted the position of associate publisher of this magazine. It is also with great enthusiasm that I pass my letter-writing baton to him. I'll still be working on features and writing about cool events for Competitor Southeast, but it's now up to Mike to complete the daunting task of writing a monthly letter to the community of which he's such an integral part. It's a tough job, but something tells me he's going to do just fine - after all, he's a competitor.