On this week’s episode Haley and Alyssa catch up with professional triathlete Manami Iijima. Manami was born in Japan, but has spent most of her life on the island of Guam. After two years without racing, Manami traveled to the US in the fall of 2021 to race 70.3 Oceanside and 70.3 Indian Wells, finishing 8th and 15th respectively. In between the two races Manami had to make the long trip back to Guam, but for a worthy reason; to attend a ceremony that granted her naturalized citizenship in Guam. Manami is hoping to be the first person ever to represent Guam in triathlon at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, and becoming a citizen was one of the first steps in this process. This year she also plans to compete on the Continental Cup and WTS circuits to earn points toward her Olympic qualification. 

A veteran of the 70.3 distance, Manami talks about how her training is adapting toward getting ready to take on short course racing. She tells us what she likes about the short course format, but also that she does have her sights set on 140.6 some day as well. She loves racing all distances and is encouraging more women to do the same. 

Follow Manami on Instagram @manamitris and you can also find the link to her Strava profile in her bio.

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