I’m Zoe! When I am not learning the ropes of becoming a geoscientist, you’ll find me out training for or racing in multisport, adventure racing and triathlon. I’ll be competing at Townsville Worlds in August in the x-tri (for a bit of fun, with hopefully a side of mud, sweat, and minimal tears) and the long distance tri (main race). I then go straight to Bend Oregon to compete with a (pretty epic!!) New Zealand team in a 6 day stage race consisting of navigating by hike, mountainbike and raft, with whatever else the organisers feel like throwing in for good measure. Minimal sleep (i.e. 2 hours per night), maximal snacks and a good dose of adventure!
· When did you first start competing in triathlons?
As a 15 yr old, I was the youngest competitor in the Timaru Triathlon. Making the local newspaper with my training partner (who was nearly 4x my age), I was the only person on the start line without a wetsuit and had done a whopping lead up of ~ 3 bike rides.
Following this, I did challenge Wanaka with of 2 months of training in 2019 (I thought I was so dedicated!)
· What’s one highlight of your triathlon journey so far that stands out to you?
Continuously growing and learning. Learning how to be patient, handle setbacks, and be kinder to myself (note: I have definitely not mastered any of these things yet, tips and suggestions welcome)
· What’s your ‘day job’ of triathlon, and how do you balance it with your training and racing goals?
I have had the luxury of being a student at Otago for the last 6 years… and for the last 2 years basically trained pro athlete hours. This year I have started my first role out of uni as a geoscientist with an exploration company. I am currently feeling like life has been turned upside down and onto its head, I am not sure I am successfully ‘balancing’ anything right now, but we will make it to the start line for an adventure nonetheless!
· What do you consider the best thing about representing the TRI NZ Age-Group Team?
No doubt as you would all agree, wearing that silver fern! But I love planning a trip, exploring new places and meeting new people, so overseas racing ticks a huge box for me!
· How did you feel when you got told you were going to represent TRI NZ Age-Group team?
Excited and ready to start planning my trip, and seeing how many other events/opportunities I could jam in!!
· What is your favourite race that you’ve competed in?
This is a hard one. My first taste of overseas racing was lugging my bike to the States in 2021 to do Maine 70.3 prior to a Geology conference I was attending at uni. I was hosted by some family friends that dedicated their entire week to me and my race. My two Coast to Coasts have been memorable so far; mostly the suffering and wondering why I come back! I couldn’t be more grateful for the people and effort that goes into making these races happen.
· Do you have any specific goals for the future?
I hope I continue finding enjoyment in training, racing and being outdoors. I also hope to keep pushing my boundaries, and learning. I want to continue competing overseas, travel for some half and full ironmans, and maybe attempt some of those ultra crazy ones like Kiwiman (but not in a hurry for that one). I aim to keep working my way up the adventure/stage racing ladder within NZ and then globally.
· What’s your top tip for those who are new to triathlon?
I feel pretty new to tri myself!! Set high goals (whether those are race, enjoyment, participation or PB based) and throw yourself into them with gusto.
· Can you share a funny or memorable moment from one of your races?
Hallucinating on the second night of an adventure race- I thought there were elephants in the bushes and rocks rolling uphill.
· Is there anyone who has inspired you to pursue triathlon? Are there athletes you admire and think, “Wow, you’re amazing”?
Not really any one person- I don’t tend to follow the pro series all that much. But my inspiration more comes from the people around me at the time I look up to. I have been privileged to flat with some incredible athletes and humans, with a wide range of knowledge on everything from Coast to Coast, pro triathlon, multi-day adventure racing and sports nutrition. Each one has had a huge impact on shaping me as an athlete and inspiring me to continue pushing!! My father is always up for a crazy endurance mission, so I guess I caught that bug from him. Biking the Tour Aotearoa (Cape Reinga-Bluff) with him in 2022 was a highlight.
· Can you share a piece of wisdom that you’ve gained from your triathlon journey?
This one was fun. Here are a few:
- If you use deep heat or gurney goo, wash your hands before going to the toilet (and dont use it as antichafe down there).
- Eat all the snacks- treat aid stations as buffets
- Raro and salt, and honey/PB sandwiches are the way to go (long time student over here)
- Make sure you are putting on your OWN running shoes in a transition, not someone elses. On the other hand, if you would like a bike upgrade mid-race, go for it!
- Willpower is only going to get you so far… For example, 4 of us entered the Kaikoura 24hour race a few years ago with NO navigational skills and completely ill informed. We were somehow surprised that we got lost multiple times, flipped a packraft, and had a hoarde of bike mechanicals resulting in my one and only DNF to date! Investment in skills needs to be prioritised at some point.
- What has your coaching/training looked like over the last few years?
A couple years ago when I was a complete newbie, I was coached for my first 18 months in endurance sport. In my student days over the last couple of years when I had more time and less money, I was largely self coached, with the occasional coffee/lunch shout to a more knowledgeable friend and help from generous people here and there.
Starting up a real job, I now have a coach to crunch the numbers and take out the indecisiveness, because ain’t no body got time for that!! I try my best to behave and do what I am told… but sometimes you just gotta go rogue and get away from the tarmac and into the hills (but maybe not 3 weeks out from Worlds!)
