By Pamela Reponen
 Why play
sports in college? Convinced that her participation in athletics at Holy
Cross has had a profound effect on her life, Susan F. Feitelberg '84 offers a
response to this question from personal experience.
A vice president with Chase Investment Services in New
York City for the past three years, Feitelberg believes
the discipline and mental attitudes she developed playing
sports in college have given her a definite edge in the
pursuit of her professional goals. At the top of the list
is the ability to take risks. While appreciating the importance
of teamwork and cooperation, she stresses the value of
risk-taking in the business environment. "I work in an
industry that is predominantly male-only 15 percent are
women-and it's very competitive," she says. "My athletic
background is constantly supporting the decisions I make,
helping me to take calculated risks."
Noting that women, in particular, need to develop this
capacity, she feels college sports provide a tremendous
opportunity for students to learn to cope with pressure
and test personal limits. "Whether the competition takes
place on the playing field or on a running track," she
says, "the arena is a controlled environment with rules
and guidelines that allow the player to test risk-taking
abilities. Teammates and opponents, too, are an excellent
resource because of the feedback they offer on these risks!"
Feitelberg is also grateful for the time-management skills
she learned from her participation in cross-country, indoor
and outdoor track at Holy Cross. Recalling the rigorous
training schedule, she explains that each day she would
be up at 6 a.m. to complete a run toward Auburn; afternoons
involved track workouts behind Kimball Hall. Since weekends
frequently entailed travel and all-day meets, she disciplined
herself to study in the van on the way to the competition
and in spare moments before an event. "Even though many
of my friends think of me as very easygoing," she says, "at
work, I rely heavily on the discipline, persistence and
goal-setting I learned playing sports at Holy Cross."
Believing that continuous participation in athletics
sustains mental and physical toughness, Feitelberg has
preserved this edge by playing competitive sports since
graduation. An interest in triathlons developed in 1985
when she accepted the invitation of classmate Clare Morey-Ouellette
to do the run-leg of a relay. Traveling to Hilton Head,
S.C., for the National Championships, they won the women's
relay. "This year," she says, "I plan to complete an 'Ironman'-a
two-mile swim, one-and-one-half-mile bike trek and a 26.2-mile
run in Roth, Germany."
In addition to enjoying the physical rigor of the triathlon
and the competitive challenge, she appreciates the social
aspect of participating in sports. "In the past 16 years," she
says, "I have met so many fascinating people who have become
tremendous friends, supporters and business acquaintances."
In her position as vice president with Chase, Feitelberg
assists clients in the management of their personal finances
with a "peak performance approach." She is writing a book
currently as well, and is patenting a process designed
to help people simplify their financial lives. Other professional
accomplishments include television interviews on PBS and
Good Day New York; writing articles for The New York Times,
Money and Brides and conducting seminars at the Learning
Center. Reflecting on her experience in the worlds of athletics
and business, Feitelberg makes this connection: "In both
fields, happiness, a sense of accomplishment and personal
satisfaction follow the completion of a difficult task.
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