This hat invites irreverence
The fact that Tommy “Rivs” Puzey doesn’t belong is why people love him.
He’s a bearded, tatted, muscular man, who dares to lead at elite races around the world, which seems audacious and presumptuous, and is extremely entertaining. He might not fit the typical image of a pro runner, but he’s not gonna let it hold him back.
Not all heroes wear capes, in Tommy’s case he dons a trucker hat, black apparel, and a flowing beard. It’s a look his followers appreciate and aim to emulate, which is why when he fell ill this summer they rallied to his aid.
Years ago Tommy also adopted a pirate persona, even donned a skull and crossbones, along with “Team Rivs” emblazoned on his uniform. As his brother Jacob Puzey describes, “He began seeing himself as a mercenary of sorts — using his body to provide for his family. I think it’s how he reconciled the long weeks away from Steph & the girls.”
Along with the alter-ego came a trademark call on social media, “Let’s Rage!”
Social posts can feel ephemeral and cheap, but his call acts as a challenge of sorts, for others to follow him in defying convention. And he was met with resounding support, as the followers grew into the hundreds of thousands, people understood implicitly that pushing themselves to their maximum athletically demanded some rage. That it…
