By Asst. Prof. Dr. Matthew Ferguson
On August 22, 2026, I completed my first IRONMAN triathlon in Tallinn, Estonia: a 3.8 km swim, a 180 km bike ride, and a 42.2 km marathon. It took me 11 hours and 35 minutes. While one of the perks of finishing an IRONMAN is the right to brag, that isn’t the point of this post. The point is that MUIC supported me in achieving this personal goal through the 40th Anniversary Academic Changemakers Scholarship.
The scholarship was granted, in part, for "practices that support balance, resilience, and well-being enabling oneself to thrive over the long term." As an academic in Cultural Studies and a teacher in the Intercultural Studies and Language program, I have cultivated a life of letters and observation. Yet I yearn for a quiet mind—to let life breathe and not let meaningful moments go unnoticed.
I lecture my students about this. I nag them about good reading habits, cautioning them against device distractions and urging them to take charge of their attention. But the unmentioned truth is that ajarns like me struggle too. Waiting for a bus or taking a break between classes, I find myself reaching for my phone to fill the boredom. We so often look for things to fill the spaces in between, not realizing that it’s the spaces themselves we are actually seeking.
My pursuit of an IRONMAN was a physical feat, but even more, it was a test of the mind. Instead of seeking distraction, swimming, cycling, and running forced me to seek focus: focus on the black line at the bottom of the pool, on the burn of my quadriceps pushing the pedals, and on my breathing when the run got hard. Stay present. Stay within myself. Be with nature. Hold onto the moment.
I extend my deepest gratitude to MUIC for their support and understanding of this pursuit. Whether through sport or other practices requiring dedicated focus—art, dance, music, or meditation—let us all find the quiet spaces in the middle of the noise.
About the Author
Asst. Prof. Dr. Matthew Ferguson is the Chair of the Humanities and Language Division.
