Former pro athlete Jay Curwen gave up life on the competition road to be home with his family, and to help build an outdoor retailer.
For 54-year-old Nantahala Outdoor Center Vice President Jay Curwen, competition has been a way of life. Attending the Christ School in Asheville, North Carolina, he was a standout swimmer and track and field athlete. His performance netted him statewide accolades and scholarships to run and swim for the University of North Carolina Asheville.
Though he earned a degree in biology, Curwen says “going fast” was the primary concern of his collegiate career. After graduating, he made it a profession.
Initially, he focused on the 5K.
“I spent a few years competing throughout the Southeast and in bigger national events,” he says. Though he did well enough to pay rent and get by, Curwen wanted something more lucrative.
Like an act of fate, he discovered the duathlon around 1990.
“Back then, the sport was hitting its highpoint,” he says. Major brands like Coors Light sponsored tours. More than 400 nationally sanctioned events were held each year. “There were races every weekend with purses ranging from $5,000 to $10,000. The competition was incredible—I wanted in on the action.”
Problem was, Curwen wasn’t a cyclist. But he bet his ability to endure physical punishment would translate to the new sport. Furthermore, he could make up time in the running segments. Visiting a local bike shop, he bought a cycling rig and arranged lessons. As it turned out, he was a natural.
“Astonishingly, I found myself racing among the leaders right away,” says Curwen. The success inspired him to train harder. “Soon, I was winning. I got totally hooked.”
For the next few years, Curwen competed in more than 50 events per year. He trained in the mornings and afternoons, logging at least two “big days” a week—that is, 70 miles of biking followed by a 10-mile run. Racing consumed his life.
“There were weekends where I’d compete in Raleigh on Saturday, then Virginia on Sunday,” he recalls with a laugh. Though grueling, as a 20-something, Curwen used the schedule to make a living almost entirely from racing. A flexible part-time gig with an outdoor retailer in Asheville brought supplemental income. “I was young and single, and knowing racing was paying my bills was the best feeling in the world.”
Corporate sponsorship opportunities led Curwen to focus on triathlons in the late-’90s. By age 30 he was a two-time member of the USA World Triathlon Team and had won multiple national championships. Next came Adventure Racing. Curwen began competing in 2003 and soon added a U.S. Adventure Racing Association national championship to his list of achievements.
But as for all athletes: Time brings age and change.
Curwen married in 2001 with intentions of raising a family. He and his wife, Monica, became parents a year later. Seeking greater financial stability, Curwen took a job with The North Face as a Southeast sales rep. His resume would expand to include stints with Patagonia, Kelty, Sierra Designs and other major companies.
But there was a tradeoff: Curwen spent 200 days a year on the road. By 2008 he and Monica had had a second child. The couple needed a change.
“Time was passing and I was tired of being gone all the time,” says Curwen. “I called every day, but that wasn’t enough. I wanted to be there to get my kids ready for school and tuck them into bed.”
The Great Recession complicated matters. It took Curwen nearly four years to snag a job, this time working as a salesman at Bryson City-based Nantahala Outdoor Center.
The 50-year-old company is the world’s largest multi-channel outfitter and consists of three brick-and-mortar retail locations, an online store, two restaurants and a full-fledged resort. It offers more than 120 different guided outdoor adventures and an Olympic-level whitewater training program, and serves more than 500,000 customers a year.
Curwen quickly rose through the company ranks and is now vice president. His secret to success? A competitive spirit.
“When I was competing for Team USA, interviewers would ask, ‘How can you push your body so hard?’” says Curwen. The answer was simple: He wanted to win. “It’s a different arena, but I’ve brought that mentality to my work at NOC. I want us to be the world’s top outdoor retailer.”
At home, Curwen says he’s living the dream. He goes on long morning runs with his wife, coaches his youngest son’s travel hockey team and helps his eldest train for collegiate cross-country track events. Occasionally, he enters races.
For instance, Curwen celebrated his 50th birthday with a brief comeback. That year, he won national championships for his age division in the USA Triathlon Off Road and Long Course Duathlon categories.
“Looking back, it’s been a pretty amazing ride,” says Curwen. “I traveled the country racing at the highest level for 15 years. Back then, standing on the podium was the biggest thrill imaginable. But spending time with my wife and sons tops that a thousand times over.”
The story above first appeared in our July/August 2021 issue.
