Q&A: Brett Cavanaugh

Our local Ironman

Oodles of local college students are entering an uncertain job market, but few have Brett Cavanaugh’s credentials. The 2009 Saint Joseph’s University graduate has all but run, biked and swam from here to China, and his vast interests include Mandarin Chinese language and culture, international business, Ironman triathlons, rowing, rock climbing and flying. Through Saint Joe’s Cooperative Education Program, he’s already worked in Shanghai for an insurance underwriter and toured the country as an apprentice entrepreneur. In May, he rowed in his last Dad Vail Regatta, where he won gold as a freshman. By the end of July, he’ll be back in China, working to start his own company there.

MLT: What’s harder: training for an Ironman or learning Mandarin Chinese?
BC: Training for—and finishing—an Ironman race isn’t easy, but learning Chinese is just as difficult. Once you stop working out or interacting in Chinese, you start losing what you’ve worked up to, so it’s always important to keep practicing.

MLT: You’ve had your share of injuries, hurting your shoulder while climbing before last year’s Ironman China race.
BC: I had a good grasp with my right hand and was hanging from my arm, trying to swing and get a grip with my left hand. For the next week, it hurt to move my shoulder the slightest bit—even to use my mouse at work. I had no idea how I would swim 2.4 miles in the ocean in just a few weeks and decided not to do the race. I still went to watch.

MLT: Then there was another accident in Shanghai last June.
BC: I needed surgery on my arm and damaged the cartilage in my knees. I had difficulty walking for over a month, and it was awhile before I could attempt to run. When I returned home, I went to a specialist who told me I was very lucky and would be able to eventually train again. Running was difficult, but the motion of rowing didn’t bother my knees. Swimming helped a lot with healing and getting back in shape.

MLT: Did you catch any of the Olympics while you were in China?
BC: There were lots of “Good Luck Beijing” events at Olympic venues. I was able to see the World Cup Triathlon, fencing and the Wushu World Championships. After living in Shanghai for eight months, I went back to Beijing for the opening ceremony and saw beach volleyball. I went to watch the rowing, but it was rained out and delayed a day. Unfortunately, shortly after the start of the Olympics, I had to fly home because my visa was expiring.

MLT: Why do you have such an attachment to China?
BC: My grandmother collected a lot of Chinese art and artifacts. It sparked my interest at a young age.

MLT: Your major is finance, with a minor in Asian studies. Does that give you an advantage?
BC: I hope so. China, for one, is a huge and growing market—one in which a knowledge of culture and language goes a long way. Still, there are lots of Chinese students in the United Sates who are fluent in Mandarin and a second dialect, and they’ve studied French or Spanish in high school. There’s going to be competition.

MLT: You’ve said training there is difficult.
BC: By contrast, Philadelphia is a great place to train. I can run along Kelly Drive or bike out to Valley Forge on the bike path and swim at the Saint Joe’s pool. But Philadelphia’s population is 1.4 million, and Shanghai’s is over 18.5 million. Trying to ride a bike or go for a run becomes a safety concern.

MLT: Do you prefer land, water or sky?
BC: Which I prefer really depends on what mood I’m in, but I’m seriously considering getting my pilot’s license. Flying was a hobby of my father’s, and my uncle is a retired airline pilot. In high school, I loved to go flying with my friend, who had his license.

MLT: What does it mean to have rowed on the Schuylkill River?
BC: Since I was little, I wanted to row on the stretch of the Schuylkill my mom always pointed out as we drove past Boathouse Row. I admire the works of Thomas Eakins. He was a rower, and some of his best paintings are of rowers on the Schuylkill. The Kelly family has some of the sport’s most accomplished oarsman. It’s a source of motivation whenever I run past the statue of John B. Kelly—well, that and the Rocky statue.