In the past, I’ve compared the analytics process to a marathon. Now, I’d like to focus on another interesting sports-related analogy for data storytelling. Triathlons are one of the most demanding endurance sports in the world. They require athletes to become proficient in three distinct sports: swimming, cycling and running.
Last December, I watched my amazing wife fulfill her dream and finish the Ironman 70.3 World Championship race in Taupo, New Zealand. Clearly, this sport has been on my mind as I watched her prepare and battle through each stage to the finish line. Even though I’ve gone to several of her Ironman events, I didn’t notice the parallels between her sport and data storytelling until now.
Similar to triathlons, data storytelling is a test of endurance, requiring proficiency in multiple disciplines, and the ability to transition seamlessly between them. To be a good data storyteller, you can’t be strong in only one area. You must be proficient in all three core disciplines: data, narrative, and visuals.
Interestingly, most triathletes start with a background in one of the three sports and then learn the other two. For example, my wife was a marathon runner who couldn’t swim and never cycled. While she knows she’ll never be the fastest in the water, she has come to love both swimming and cycling.
Have you ever tried to build a data story but found yourself stuck on the visuals or unsure of your narrative? Much like triathletes, we come from diverse backgrounds and all have natural strengths—and weaknesses.
In my training workshops, I’ve observed that data professionals excel at analysis but often struggle with narrative, while business professionals master storytelling but hesitate with the data and visualizations. Yet just as a runner can become proficient in swimming and cycling, anyone can develop into a complete data storyteller with some strategic guidance and dedicated practice.
Beyond the three core disciplines, the triathlon-data storytelling connection runs deeper:
1. Start with the right sequence (Race structure)
Swim. Bike. Run. The order of a triathlon is not happenstance. Imagine what could occur if exhausted athletes swam at the end of their races—it could be potentially unsafe.
Data. Narrative. Visuals. In data storytelling, the order matters as well. You start by identifying an insight in the data, building a narrative arc for your key findings, and then designing visuals that help explain your main points. I emphasize this structure in my data storytelling course because this sequence is essential to building effective data stories. If you start with a narrative, you run the risk of cherry-picking facts to fit your story. If you focus on the final visuals after analyzing the data, your narrative could be weakened by appealing but superfluous charts.
Tip: Storyboard the narrative arc of your key findings and insights before designing any charts.
2. Master the critical transitions (Transition management)
In every triathlon, the athletes navigate two transitions: swim-to-bike (T1) and bike-to-run (T2). The time advantages gained in the preceding stage can be squandered if the athletes are inefficient or slow in the transitions when they change their gear and fuel up for the next stage.
In data storytelling, there are also two important transitions: data-to-narrative (T1) and narrative-to-visuals (T2). In the first transition, you must ensure you have a core insight that matters to your audience and then strip away the extraneous details that add noise rather than clarity. In the second transition, you shift from using exploratory visuals in your analysis to crafting explanatory ones that will support your narrative.
Tip: Before you create your final visuals, focus on the headlines first to ensure the charts support your key takeaways.
3. Train across all disciplines (Pre-race cross-training)
Triathletes devote training time to each sport as they look to round out their form. Each sport has its own unique techniques or tactics that must be practiced and developed over time. For example, my wife has spent hundreds of hours, improving her swimming strokes, breathing and sighting. She must balance that with equal amounts of time spent on improving her cycling and running performance.
Aspiring data storytellers must work on their abilities across all three pillars of data storytelling to become truly effective. Too often most of the focus is spent on data visualization, which leads to weaknesses and knowledge gaps in the other key areas of data and narrative. If you’re considering data storytelling training, it must span all three pillars to develop well-rounded data storytellers.
Tip: Tag team with a co-worker who excels in area where you’re weak.
4. Fuel your story with strategic alignment (Nutrition and hydration strategy)
In long distance events, triathletes must closely monitor how they’re fueling their bodies. Time and time again, my wife encounters many younger or inexperienced athletes who miscalculated on their nutrition or hydration needs and can’t finish the race. The preparation begins long before the race begins and continues through the entire event. You must always ensure you have enough calories and energy to complete each stage.
In data storytelling, I would equate this with having sufficient business knowledge and audience understanding to be strategically aligned. As you work on a data story, you can easily stray away from what matters to your audience or the business if you’re not careful. It’s essential to maintain a firm grasp of the business priorities and audience needs throughout the entire process.
Tip: Share an early version of your story to get feedback and adjust as necessary.
5. Stay focused when the pressure mounts (Mental toughness)
Triathlons can be extremely demanding not only physically but mentally. Triathletes must overcome fears, discomfort, fatigue, self-doubt, environmental factors and mechanical issues. Those who are not able to stay focused will crumble when challenges occur and pressure mounts. My wife has had to overcome all kinds of mental challenges: panic attacks in the water, flat tires, cramps and excessive heat.
Many of your data stories will not be warmly received and embraced. You may share insights that executives don’t want to hear. You may run into difficulties with poor or incomplete data. You may be given less time than you need to present your findings or face hard questions from skeptical stakeholders. It’s also easy to overthink or over-engineer your stories. Staying focused and being resilient under pressure is important for data storytellers just as it is for triathletes.
Tip: Prepare for tough questions by rehearsing your story with a test audience.
Finding focus in chaos
When my wife competed in the 2020 St. George Ironman 70.3 World Championships, she had a harrowing experience. Her age group was the last wave to enter the water. At the start of her swim, she heard another triathlete cry for help when the woman started to panic. At that moment, my wife lost her focus and became anxious herself. After some encouraging words from a volunteer in a kayak, she made it to the half-way buoy.
At that moment, a rogue squall hit the lake turning it into a washing machine of violent waves. For safety reasons, all the athletes and volunteers were pulled into motorboats. Initially, many of the women resisted being pulled out of the water for fear of being disqualified. When they reached the lakeshore in tears, they were informed they could keep racing. After the traumatic experience in the water, my wife was able to rediscover her focus and complete the race with strong performances in her bike and run legs.
Just as my wife’s ability to overcome unexpected challenges in her race exemplifies the mental and physical fortitude needed in triathlons, data storytellers must master multiple disciplines and stay resilient in the face of obstacles and setbacks. Whether analyzing data, crafting narratives, or designing visuals, success in data storytelling comes from maintaining focus and adapting to challenges. You can never lose sight of the finish line or ultimate goal: delivering insights that drive action.
