Kate Waugh was crowned World U23 Triathlon Champion in 2022. It was the culmination of years of hard work - she did her first triathlon at the age of 7 or 8 and has been racing internationally since she was a youngster, becoming European Junior Champion in 2017 and also runner up World Junior Champion behind Taylor Knibb that same year. She was based in Leeds for University but made a switch to Paulo Sousa's international squad for the 2023 season.

You'll hear:

06:00 Kate Waugh's sporty background as a kid - she did gymnastics and used to love riding her bike with her Dad and Grandad.

12:00 How Kate got into triathlon as a youngster and how she remembers she had a competitive spirit when she was a child. She also talks about how she balanced triathlon and her school work "I still wanted to be a teenager when I was younger and my mum encouraged me to have a balanced life." "I had to be very disciplined."

17:00 How does she find balance these days?

18:30 Kate talks about her 5 years in Leeds, having had a year out before Uni and then doing a degree in Psychology.

21:00 We talk nerves and pressure and expectations on Kate - she was European Junior Champion in 2017. Does she feel pressure to succeed? "It's only been the last few years, but if I overthink it, I then race rubbish." "You want to prove constantly that you're worth the investment, but if you let that all build up inside you, it never ends well. The result will be what the result will be."

26:00 Why Kate has moved from Leeds to Paulo Sousa's squad - living abroad and away from home and training and racing in a squad environment.

29:00 Paris Olympics "I'm going to go for it now, but it's going to be super tough."

31:00 We touch on language learning and being competitive on Doulingo :)

35:00 When did Kate realise she could be an elite triathlon and what are her goals in the sport?

Find out more about this week's guest:

Kate Waugh Instagram

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