Triathlon ACT wants people of all ages and capabilities to 'try a tri'

Gandhi said “adversity is the mother of progress” – a sentiment Steve Bingley can get behind.

The newly-appointed executive director at Triathlon ACT reckons the upcoming triathlon season will give every man, woman and child the opportunity to test the theory.

“Growth comes only through adversity,” he says.

“You have to try things outside your physical and mental comfort zones to see what you’re truly capable of.

“Triathlon can give you that.”

The season will open in early September with a full schedule that caters to all experience levels.

Steve says it’ll be the most extensive season since 2019, offering dozens of events through to March for multiple distances and age brackets and beginner to elite skill levels.

“It’s probably the first full racing season Canberra has had in years and we are very lucky to have Corey Bacon from Canberra Multisports Events facilitating the calendar for us,” Steve says.

“He is the puppet master of this style of race. He is very well known and reputable so we know the races will be of a high calibre.”

For triathlon veterans the calendar highlight is probably the ACT Duathlon Championships – the first round of the ACT club series and a world championship qualifying race at Stromlo.

But Steve is particularly excited about two other events.

The first is the Try a Tri series, kicking off on 5 November.

“It’s a starting-level event for adults, recreational athletes or people who want to try later in life,” he explains.

“It’s a non-intimidating format, with very good introductory distances to triathlon for all capabilities.”

The Little Ts Triathlon series kicks off on the same day, offering an entry-level event for kids aged seven to 16.

“They can bring whatever bike they want to use and it’s a nice and easy intro distance just to let them try it out,” Steve says.

“In this post-COVID world, our kids are coming out of long periods of isolation, possibly home schooling and decreased physical activity.

“They could be the next generation of Sam Hardings and Luke Harveys – two incredible Canberran athletes who just won silver medals at the Commonwealth Games.

“Things like this Little Ts can be the first step on their health and wellness journey and hopefully exposes them to the beautiful sport that is triathlon.”

Steve says multisport events like triathlon have a way of truly introducing a person to themselves.

“You have the three disciplines – swimming, cycling and running. So with your training – your journey to get to the race – you have to spend more time finessing those individual sports to get the result you want on the day. It’s a real challenge for the athlete,” he says.

“If all you’re doing is one thing, eventually you get to a point of training stagnation … Triathlon requires you to be physically robust to handle the three disciplines but also mentally disciplined.

“Races are supposed to be a challenge and a personal endeavour, though, and we want to encourage everyone to give it a go.”

To map out your best triathlon journey, and for a connection to your local club, contact Triathlon ACT.