Tri Talking Sport

A cardiac scan as part of a requirement to race with a triathlon team in France saw her sidelined when it was discovered she had a blood clot and was facing some scary health issues.  Navigating her way through the journey back to full health, dealing with the implications of her condition and the loss of sport was not an easy road.  However, she has come out the other side, guns blazing with a can and will do attitude, that has seen her on seven podiums in seven triathlon races this season in some cases on back to back days across back to back weekends. 

Some of her key results this year include; triathlon wins in Sligo, Rosslare & Ballyhass, finishing within the top 10 male standings in all races.  She took Silver in the National Elite Sprint Championship and Bronze in the National Elite Olympic Distance Championships, as well as winning the aforementioned King of Greystones Triathlon. 

Last year as she returned to racing post-illness, she had success on the bike and the running track.  Taking to ZWIFT she competed in Cycling Irelands' first-ever national ZWIFT league,  won numerous races in the league and held the women's jersey for multiple weeks. She also competed in Cycling Ireland road races taking wins at Knockaderry and Corkagh Park. She competed in the Athletics Ireland Track Nationals last year in the 5km placing in the top 15 in the country.  Rounding off her 2020 season she raced her first international race in Germany for Team Hagen in the Bundesliga Elite Triathlon league where she placed 35th overall. 

With big goals and aspirations for the future both in sport and with her medical career, the future is bright and busy for Shannon Kelly, with a strong belief in working hard and reaping the rewards of that hard work she is fully committed to achieving those goals and in her own words she says ' I go get it, I love racing, I love triathlon, I love sport' 

Kickstarting his ultra-cycling career with the Race Around Ireland in 2009, it has been a roller coaster of a ride with many mountains and kilometres climbed to get to where he is today in his ultra-cycling career. Toeing the start line of the Race Around Ireland on numerous occasions since his first attempt at the event he has dealt with the lows of a number of disappointing DNF's and the highs of finishing on the podium in both the Full and Ultra distance events. 

With a 2nd & 3rd place in both the Full and Ultra events at Race Around Ireland, he has his target set to make it to the top step of the podium in the Ultra race in 2022 after what might be considered a breakthrough season this year. 

Crippled with stomach issues and a knee that gives him plenty of bother whilst racing, that has both, in turn, affected his performances over the years, he has through the intervention and guidance of performance nutritionist Jillian Mooney found some relief for his stomach issues that have seen him perform at the level this season that he knew he was capable of.  This Summer, Seán won the Donegal Atlantic Way Ultra 555k Unsupported Race and the TJB Coastal 330 mile race before going on to set a new record for the 571k route from Mizen Head to Malin Head in a time of 17:20. That's an average of 33kph over the distance which included around 4,500m of climbing. 

With his eyes on the prize of the top step on the podium in the Race Around Ireland Ultra in 2022, a possible faster record attempt for that Mizen to Malin Route and the expected arrival of a new addition to the Hernon household early next year, there are exciting things to come for the man referred to fondly as the 'Bear' Hernon. 

In 2019 she represented Ireland in three separate European Championships across cycling, triathlon and cross country running, which is quite a remarkable achievement. She has a long list of racing accolades and success to date, from racing at the European Youth Olympics in cycling to competing in Rás na Mban twice, winning the best Irish rider green jersey on both occasions. Not to mention the long list of success in athletics and cross country running at home and abroad as well as her success on the international stage in triathlon, it's no surprise that she has twice been awarded Irish Junior Triathlete of the Year by Triathlon Ireland.

For now, she is focusing on triathlon as her chosen sport with her eyes firmly focused on being the best she can be, with a desire to train, race and represent her country at the highest level. This is a great chat with Maeve who at such a young age is an inspiration not only to her own age group, but also to those of us who are older than her and to those who may follow in her footsteps for years to come. 

Splitting her time between her home in Australia and her adopted home in Boulder Colorado the former ITU athlete and Youth Olympic Silver Medalist almost gave up on the sport when she fell out of love with it,  taking 6 months away completely to pursue other interests. But it wasn't long before her love of the sport and all it embodies saw her return with that burning desire to be the best in the world even stronger than ever.  Seeking the help and coaching support of Siri Lindley who soon oversaw Ellie's pivot to middle distance racing she has been paving her way to the top step of a World Championship podium ever since. 

The vivacious 28 year old has her eyes firmly on the World Championship prize and with the IRONMAN 70.3 Worlds taking place in St. George Utah this month, the podium is within touching distance for the steely determined athlete. Salthouse by name and salt of the earth by nature, the future is bright for this sparkling athlete. 

Fenella says she is just a big kid at heart and loves what she does.  With the biggest smile on her face she finished Challenge Daytona in 7th position last year before going on to claim a silver medal at IRONMAN Coeur d'Alene in June of this year stamping her ticket to Kona finishing in 8:59:49, a sub 9 debut IRONMAN. 

She has had her fair share of injuries over the years but through her infectious positivity, commitment to her craft  and her patience she has bounced back to deliver some performances she can be very proud of including her win at IRONMAN 70.3 Barcelona just one week after a bike crash in France which resulted in a DNF and stitches. 

With an abundance of drive and determination coupled with natural talent and a thirst for success, the quietly spoken athlete lets her ability and performances do the talking.  Still in her twenties, on the cusp of a new decade,  Fenella has lots more fun to have in the sport of triathlon and there are plenty of podiums and medals in her future.

With a string of successes to his name already including; the winner of the Bearman Xtreme Long Distance race in 2017 and the Lakesman in 2019 he set the fastest long distance triathlon time ever recorded in the United Kingdom on the day in a winning time of 8:21.  In the same year he finished 7th at Ironman Barcelona in a time of 8:05. He was recently 2nd at IRONMAN UK behind Joe Skipper which saw him jump up the PTO rankings to 26th on the global list.  

Moving to France with his family as a young child he grew up embedded and engrossed in triathlon as his parents set up Sancture Sportifs Triathlon Training Camps in the South of France. Surrounded by sport, meeting a wide range of athletes from different cultures and backgrounds his passion for triathlon was fuelled and the fire ignited to pursue a life in sport where anything is possible. 

Sam has a drive, focus and commitment to the sport that many of us can be inspired by, he is still very young in age but he is very much dedicated to his craft.  He may have big goals and dreams but I fully expect that those goals and dreams will become a reality and Sam Laidlow is one to watch for the future!

It was joining Team Passion Fit in 2018 that her journey as a triathlete really started to take shape and notably her ability and tenacity as an athlete began to shine through. Her results speak for themselves in recent years with a 7th overall in IM 70.3 Weymouth in 2018, 1st in her age group at IM 70.3 Staffordshire in 2019 a 14th  place overall result.  Racing at the IM 70.3 World Championships in Nice in 2019 she was 17th in her age group, she finished 1st in her age group at IM 70.3 Lanzarote in 2019 and has taken the top step of the podium at the Cotswold 113, The Westonbirt Duathlon and the Chilly Duathlon. 

Coupled with the overall wins at Outlaw and IRONMAN 70.3 Staffordshire recently the phoenix is most definitely rising as she embraces her life in sport not only as an athlete but as a business woman and proud owner of Phoenix Evolution Bike Fitting Consultancy. 

As a youngster his bike was his mode of transport to get to school and his swimming lessons, the thrill of adventure and opportunity for fun started him on a journey for life that would see him start bike racing at the tender age of 14 in 1987 when Stephen Roche won the Tour De France.  A high performer in sport across boxing, running and rugby it was down the cycling path where Padraig really followed his passion for sport both as an athlete and coach.  

He raced The Rás in Ireland 12 times within a 30 year period,  raced abroad for a period of time, holds multiple race titles and coaching accolades, is a race director for triathlon and cycling events and has recently completed an off road Everesting Challenge on the side of Croagh Patrick with some fellow cycling enthusiasts in Mayo. In addition to this he won Gaelforce in 2010 and was the All Ireland adventure race champion in 2011, the list of accolades and achievements are vast and diverse, his versatility as an athlete evident in his success in sport. 

In some ways, the bigger and more obscure the challenge the greater the excitement for Padraig, however in 2014, Padraig faced his biggest challenge of them all.. a fight for life.  Thankfully he has come out the other side of this challenge and continues to inspire, encourage and motivate the people around him and beyond, young and old to enjoy the life long skill of cycling and all its joys and jubilations. 

He has a string of wins to his name including fastest overall amateur at IRONMAN Lanzarote in 2019 which saw him finish 11th overall on the day,  as well as multiple age group wins at IRONMAN UK before breaking the tape as the overall winner in 2019.    Racing in Kona six times he has had some super results on the Big Island in Hawaii, his most recent in 2019 saw him finish in 9:02.  This Sunday Brian toes the line of the Supersapiens IRONMAN UK, eager to deliver a performance that will see him on the podium with his ticket stamped for Kona once again. 

Brian gives us some insight in this episode to his journey in sport, from his days as a footballer to a keen marathon runner before taking up triathlon and excelling in the sport. It hasn't been plain sailing for Brian to get to where he is today but with courage and commitment he has embraced the opportunity to be the best athlete he can be all whilst balancing a busy work and home life, in his own words ' exercise is my drug' 

It was a rollercoaster start in life for Kim as she underwent open heart surgery at just three years of age at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital in London, however her fighting spirit and competitive ambition from an early age has seen her enjoy much success in sport both as a field hockey player and now as a professional triathlete.  

As an age group triathlete she quickly excelled in the sport winning the 25-29 Age Group at the 2014 World Triathlon Championships in Kitzbuhel Austria.  Stepping into the world of professional racing she claimed her first title at IM 70.3 Buenos Aires in 2016 and also finished on the podium at IM 70.3 Staffordshire and IM 70.3 Sweden in the same year.  

Since then she has been on the podium at a variety of IM 70.3 races, raced multiple full distance races including the IRONMAN World Championships in 2019 where she finished 26th. She has already stamped her ticket for the IM 70.3 Worlds in Utah this year and for Kona, so there are an exciting few months ahead for the Norfolk based athlete.  

Already in 2021 Kim has claimed silver in the National TT Circuit Championships in the UK, in addition to this she had a 5th place finish at IM 70.3 Texas and an 8th place at IM Tulsa and also finished 5th at the Lake Dorney Triathlon last weekend in a stacked field featuring some of the UK's top female professional triathletes. 

Kimberley's sporting success continues to rise, with her positive attitude, great perspective, tenacity and passionate focus on being the best athlete she can be, I expect we will see her on many a podium over the years to come with a number of bike and race course records added to her name in the process.