Market:  New York
Athlete:  Caroline Farkas, RBC Capital Markets

“Caroline, pull yourself up.”

I dangled on the pull-up bar in my younger brother’s high school gym. Inhale. Pull. Nope.

“Come on, just one!” My brother cheered. Another deep breath. Pull. Not even one.

It was April 2016 and after signing up for The D10, I recruited my younger brother to record my starting reps. This was going to be hard.

I have never been afraid of a challenge. Athletics allowed me to push myself beyond my comfort zone and always seek to achieve more. In 7th grade I made the high school varsity hockey team, and by my freshman year I found myself a three sport athlete, earning all-league awards on two of those teams. In college, I joined the club lacrosse team and served as captain for two years. During college, I also dedicated myself to service. From teaching science classes in metro Nashville schools, English and health classes in Latin America, and raising money for the Monroe Carrol Junior Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University and the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, volunteering shaped my college experience. I found myself looking for ways to stay involved post college.

Learning about The D10 in the spring of 2016, I was both excited to compete to be Wall Street’s Top Athlete and inspired by the mission of Pediatric Oncology Experimental Therapeutics Investigator's Consortium (POETIC). Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. and we all know someone impacted by this disease – for me, it was my grandmother. I signed up immediately.

Training for 2016 felt almost impossible. I was unable to do a pull-up. I hadn’t seen a track in years, and a football throw? I needed to kick it in to gear.  My first Tone House (and only Tone House) session of 2016 just about killed me. Gasping for air and struggling back towards the starting line, I looked up to see fellow decathletes clapping for me, encouraging me to finish. I had joined a new team. The connections, teamwork, and energy of each athlete encouraged me to work harder. Knowing that I was raising money for an amazing cause inspired me to double down. If there is a cause to train for, I can’t think of a better one.  June 12th, 2016 I finished The D10 in 4th place, stronger than I ever thought possible, with new friends and a new motivation to crush in 2017.

This year, I am training harder than ever. Through morning workouts, Tone House sessions, and hitting the track with Ted Towle, I have clear goals in mind; to beat both my fitness and fundraising numbers from last year. I am now up to 10 pull-ups, and ready for the challenge. Follow my progress on June 11th!

Bring it, 
Caroline