BREAKING NEWS: The Final Frontier Meets the Ultimate Showdown – Star Trek Fans Get Ready to Cheer on Olympic Champion, Helen Jenkins!
[startrek.com interview] Last week, we had the opportunity to catch up with Olympic triathlon champion Helen Jenkins and her husband Marc, who competed in the 2012 Summer Games, to talk about their love for sports and – you guessed it – Star Trek! In this exclusive interview, Helen shared her favorite Star Trek episodes and how they’ve inspired her to push herself to greatness.
The Trek-Filled Road to Success
In the world of triathlon, where perseverance and dedication are key, Helen credits Star Trek with helping her overcome her most daunting challenges. "I loved how the characters in Star Trek, despite being from different backgrounds and cultures, always came together to achieve a common goal. I think that’s something we can all learn from, especially in sports," Helen said.
When asked about her favorite Star Trek episodes, Helen couldn’t get enough of the critically-acclaimed fourth season of Deep Space Nine. "I loved Deep Space Nine and the character Garak. ‘Improbable Cause’ and ‘The Die is Cast’ in Season 3 are some of my favorites. I love how those episodes explored the complexities of human morality and the gray areas in between black and white."
From the Final Frontier to the Olympic Stage
Despite her impressive athletic accomplishments, Helen remains humble and grounded, crediting her success to her family and mentors. "My husband Marc is a huge inspiration to me. He’s not only my partner in triathlon, but also my biggest supporter," she said.
When asked what advice she would give to aspiring athletes, Helen emphasized the importance of perseverance, adaptation, and embracing failure. "Trek has taught me that even the most unlikely of heroes can overcome any obstacle. In sports, it’s crucial to learn from your mistakes and use them as an opportunity to grow."
The Future of Triathlon
As Helen and Marc gear up for their next competition, they are taking a page from the Starfleet playbook – adapting to change and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
"We’re always looking for ways to stay ahead of the game and stay engaged with our fans," Marc shared. "Just like Captain Picard and his crew, we’re always charting new territory and exploring new ways to connect with our audience."
Exclusive Quotable Moments
"We were both inspired by the camaraderie and teamwork displayed in Star Trek." – Helen Jenkins
"I love the wit and humor in Star Trek, just like in triathlon – it’s all about the journey and learning from your mistakes." – Marc Jenkins
Stay Tuned for More Breakout News and Interviews!
"Triathlon competitors Helen and Marc Jenkins are a husband and wife duo who need no introduction in the small, international Olympian community. But, between long, exasperating, and hard-working sessions of running, swimming and cycling, the couple are also die-hard Star Trek fans. And with the 2020 games being postponed to 2021, they've had plenty of time to indulge in their favorite show.
Marc grew up with Star Trek as a child, following in his father's same love for the cult TV show, but Helen was a Star Trek newbie and only "got into it" when Marc shared the show with her. And while Helen and Marc have spent much of their life fine-tuning their skills, Star Trek ultimately could be responsible for their success on the field, so to speak. […]
StarTrek.com: Where did your love for Star Trek come from?
Helen Jenkins: I hadn't watched any Star Trek until I met Marc and was pretty dubious when he wanted me to watch it! I think it can have a reputation as being really geeky, and I also hadn't watched any sci-fi so I was surprised when I really enjoyed it. We watched The Next Generation first.
Marc Jenkins: I've loved Star Trek as long as I can remember. My dad would watch The Original Series. The first few movies really got me hooked. I loved sci-fi and space, think I probably spent too much time watching TV when I was really young.
The movies were brilliant for a kid — all that space, warp speed, fight scenes, phasers, and torpedos. How could a young boy not love that. I was about 11 or 12 when I rented the episode "Encounter at Farpoint." I remember picking up the video case and thinking, "This isn’t Star Trek. [Star Trek] is Kirk and Spock and this guy isn't either of them, and they've got funny uniforms!" [But] that was it; [I was] hooked for life. I'm not sure it shaped my childhood but definitely influenced it.
After school, I'd go straight to swimming then get home, and have dinner in front of whatever episode of Trek was being aired. It was TNG at that stage, but later on, I remember having pretty big training days on Sundays, then I'd get home, go to bed, and wait for the new episode of Deep Space Nine. So my recovery time was made better if there was some Trek on somewhere. I'd love that routine of a big week, then relax and DS9.
StarTrek.com: What are your favorite Star Trek episodes and why?
Marc Jenkins: "The Inner Light," that was amazing, or "Data's Day" or "Yesterday's Enterprise." We could talk about it for hours — there's absolutely no way I could single one episode out as a clear favorite. "Far Beyond the Stars" is a pretty awesome DS9 episode, but again there's so much in that series I love. I loved the character Vic Fontaine. I actually wish he'd been in it more, all that Sinatra and Martin music with a feel of Vegas.
Even now my brain is going and I could keep on and on about the great ones. Aren’t they all great?
Helen Jenkins: I loved Deep Space Nine and the character Garak. "Improbable Cause" and "The Die is Cast" in Season 3 are some of my favorites. I love how you never quite know where Garak's loyalties lie.
I liked the Borg episodes in TNG, "The Best of Both Worlds" Parts I and II are amazing episodes. I also enjoy "The Measure of a Man" when they are assessing Data's humanity.
StarTrek.com: Star Trek is deeply ingrained in the Jenkins household — how?
Marc Jenkins: Because we spent a hell of a lot of time watching it! We'd train hard and get a lot of down time. It was something to look forward to after a session and we would love it.
Helen Jenkins: Star Trek really marks certain periods of our life. We had a really hard time in 2005. Marc has a genetic condition which causes his blood to clot. This was undiagnosed, and in 2005, he had a massive clot in his leg and several in his lungs. He was hospitalized and when he got home, he couldn't get around much. I was training really hard in the hope I would be able to earn some money! Marc was the primary earner at that point. We spent all of my recovery time between training watching Enterprise. Whenever I hear the theme tune, it takes me back to that time. I remember where we were at certain times, what training camps we were on, and what series we were watching or re-watching throughout our careers.
[…]
Full Interview By Michelle Tchea:
https://www.startrek.com/en-un/news/star-trek-helps-turn-champions-into-olympians
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