Five minutes with me

Recently I completed an entry for the WITSUP (Women in Triathlon) 2015 Ambassador Scholarship, this included the following questions an a short video - which I will post shortly.

WITSUP (www.witsup.com) is the brain child of Stef Hanson aka. Chief, her experience, passion and observations drove the idea of WITSUP.com, the concept of WITSUP.com is to provide an informational portal on the glorious world wide web, but more than that it is about creating an online and real life community for women in triathlon. Stef's passion for the sport combined with her sense of humour, commitment to greatness and engaging personality is obvious throughout the different platforms of WITSUP.com – and that is one of the points of difference.

So here goes, my first interview-ish, hard asked questions which put me in the running to be this years WITSUP Ambassador - which even if I'm not successful, has taught me a lot more about myself.

What are your top 3 favourite moments in your triathlon/sporting career?

By far my number one moment so far in triathlons is coming 1st in the 25-29 AG in Mandurah 70.3. Although this was also the toughest and most painful race I have competed in it was extremely rewarding. After the race I felt amazing and probably the happiest I have been in my whole life. That feeling when all the hard work and sacrifices payoff is nothing short of euphoric and is something I will now be chasing for the rest of my life.

My second favourite moment was completing my first triathlon 12 months ago. This is when I realised I was in trouble and my life had just changed forever.

My third favourite moment can’t be narrowed down to one session, but it’s that feeling when you dig so much deeper than you thought you could and surpass all your expectations. The sense of achievement and confidence that you get from those sessions is almost as good as racing… almost.

What are your top 3 favourite moments that you’ve witnessed in triathlon/sport?

My number one favourite moment occurred while I was streaming the Ironman World Championship live in my office at work. As we work and live onsite for 21 days straight we have ways and means of ensuring we don’t miss any critical sporting events. I started watching the stream on my own and by the end I had everyone in the office crowded around my computer cheering and in awe at Miranda Carafe’s performance and the sheer determination and strength of the women racing. For triathlon to bring such happiness and excitement to a place which is challenging most of the time was incredible.

To see the happy and excited faces of my Fiancé, family, team members and random strangers during and after my races is also one of my favourite moments to have witnessed in triathlon. The encouragement and support you get in this sport is like nothing I have ever seen.

Bethany Hamilton’s come back after losing her arm in a shark attack is another one of my favourite moments I’ve witnessed in sport. She overcame her fears and came back to be one of the strongest female pro surfers in the world. Inspirational!

How would you convince someone to take up triathlon?

To convince someone to take up triathlons I would talk to them about my experiences with triathlons and the happiness and fulfilment I have found through racing and training. I believe that my passion for triathlons is reflected in my everyday life and I would love to share it with other people. I have started writing a blog aimed at getting people, particularly FIFO workers, involved with triathlons/sports in general because of the positive impact triathlon has had on my life.

Is there anything else that you think we ought to know about you?

I also have a passion for surfing, on my weeks off work that im not racing or training I will go to Indonesia for a surf trip. I picked up surfing around 3 years ago and caught the bug, I was surfing everyday twice a day. I also enjoy snowboarding.

Why do you deserve to be the WITSUP.com scholarship winner and in turn witsup.com ambassador?

I believe that if given the opportunity I could be the perfect ambassador for WITSUP as I am not only a passionate ambitious triathlete but a full time Civil Engineer working FIFO. I would love to encourage and inspire young and older women to reach for their dreams and push themselves to achieve what they are capable of.

Working 12hr days on Barrow Island as an Engineer on a 21 days on 7 days off roster and training for a half Ironman has been far from easy but one thing I have learnt is HARD WORK PAYS OFF! In the last half Ironman I competed in, Mandurah 70.3 on 9/11/2014, I managed to finish 1st in the 25-29 age group and won myself a ticket to the 70.3 World Championships in Austria 2015.

I want to share the happiness and fulfilment triathlons have brought me and represent the companies that support the sport that I love.

What got you into triathlon?

In August 2013 I began working FIFO on Barrow Island and quickly realised I needed to find something to keep me active as I was surrounded by the ocean but not allowed to surf. I soon met some guys that were waking up at 2:30am to train before work and became intrigued. When I first realised the distances involved in a half ironman I was shocked but then that deep seeded drive and ambition to see what I am capable of kicked in and I was hooked. The more I trained the more I realised the significantly positive effect triathlons was having on my performance at work and attitude towards life. I am a happier and more complete person when I am training and have a goal I am striving to achieve.

What are your plans within triathlon for 2015?

I plan to continue training onsite and am aiming to place in the top 3 in half Ironman World Championships in Austria in August 2015. I have also entered Busselton 70.3 and will be competing in some local races throughout the year. I would also like to race in the WA state Olympic distance race in 2015 as I came 2nd in the 25-29 AG this year and would like to see what I can achieve next year.

What are your long term plans in triathlon?

If I am able to place in the 70.3 World Championships this year I would consider working part time and getting my professional licence to enable me to reach for my full potential. The sport of triathlon is now a part of my life and no matter what happens or where it takes me I will keep striving to reach my limits and pushing myself to be the best I can be.

Fingers crossed, the successful applicant will be advised today! I'm biting my nails!