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On Saturday, 27 May 2023, the 2022/23 Triathlon WA Annual Awards were held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Perth Waterfront. We welcomed 160 athletes, supporters, staff, partners and friends to the Waterside room to celebrate the season in style!

View the gallery of photos here: https://patrickboerephotography.pixieset.com/triathlonwaawards/

Triathlon WA would like to congratulate the below award winners on their achievements and contributions in the 2022/23 season. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in 2023/24 for another fantastic year of racing.

Community Coach of the Year Award

The Community Coach of the Year Award, now in its second year, aims to honour those who do outstanding work in coaching non-elite age group or junior triathletes. Winners of this award demonstrate outstanding engagement, integrity, community spirit and commitment to growing the sport of Triathlon in Western Australia.

The 2023 Community Coach of the Year Award was presented to Phoenix Tri Club’s Emma Moon!

Emma has been coaching triathletes of all ages and abilities for 5 years and is known for her infectious enthusiasm and incredible passion for the sport. She delivers group sessions across all disciplines working with beginners to experienced Ironman athletes. She holds a volunteer coaching position with School Sport WA, and is also a coach for the Guildford Grammar School Triathlon Squad.

Coach of the Year Award

The Coach of the Year Award recognises individuals who have coached WA athletes (Age Group or Elite) to one or more outstanding achievements in the preceding twelve months.

The 2023 Coach of the Year award was presented to UWA Triathlon Club’s Steve Gleeson!

Steve is TA Performance Accredited and has coached many athletes to reach their full potential and represent WA in National and International races. His coaching accolades in the past 12 months include Junior Sprint National Champion, Oceania Continental Para Cup Winner, numerous top ten results in Continental Cups, podiums at local events, and a Junior World Championship qualification.

Steve Barrie Technical Official of the Year

The Technical Official of the Year Award has been acknowledged since 2000. The Award was renamed in 2007 in honour of the late Steve Barrie to recognise his significant contribution to our sport.

This award is presented annually in recognition of the service and dedication of a Technical Official to the sport. Awarded to the Technical Official of the Year on the recommendation of the TWA Technical Reference Panel, the Steve Barrie Award recognises an individual’s valuable contribution to the technical program based on their regular participation in the Field of Play (minimum of five events in the season) and their contribution to the progression of the program throughout the season.

This year, the Steve Barrie Award was presented to Felicity Tyrrell-Prince!

Felicity joined the Technical Program 15 years ago and has been a consistently excellent official. Felicity is based in South West WA, and is always happy to support regional events like IMWA, Karri Valley, Busselton Festival of Triathlon and Bunbury Classic. Felicity is an active member of the local community through animal rescue, and is the only official we have that can remove snakes from the course!

Technical Service Awards

The Technical Official Service Awards are awarded in recognition of a Technical Official who has provided over 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25 years of commitment and service to the sport of Triathlon. The sport would not be possible if it wasn’t for our Technical Officials, so we’d like to thank every official within our program. The following milestones were celebrated at the 2023 Awards:

5 years of Service:

• Travis Bentley
• Susan Androvich

10 years of Service:

• Damien D’Antoine
• Steve Norton

15 years of Service:

• Felicity Tyrrell – Prince
• Cathy Hoare

25 years of Service:

• Frank Stapleton
• Warren Milward
• Robyn Scott

Congratulations and thank you for your service to our sport and community your efforts are invaluable and so appreciated.

Service to Sport

The Service to Sport Award is intended to recognise an individual who has demonstrated outstanding service to the sport of triathlon at a state, club, event, or other association level. This years’ Service to Sport Winner is the true meaning of outstanding service, having been a coach since 1996, contributing to the creation of novice programs such as Tri-Mum’s, Kids Triathlon School Holiday Program, as well as junior development programs with the Junior Triathlon Academy, School Gold Program and was the Lead of the Triathlon Excellence Program from 2006 – 2009. This award winner is constantly holding events, coaching age group athletes, and working towards making the sport a community.

The 2022/2023 Service to Sport Award winner was Brian Kempson!

Brian recently had to undergo a quadruple heart bypass and whilst recovering he was still checking in with athletes and creating training plans. His passion for the sport and his athletes is undeniable, and we are so grateful for his service to triathlon in Western Australia over the last 25 plus years!

Individual Performance of the Year – Male & Female

The Individual Performance of the Year Award is intended to recognise the most outstanding performances or one-off performance of West Australian athletes in the preceding twelve months including WA athletes racing World Triathlon events.

MALE WINNER:

This year’s Individual Male Performance of the Year Award winner was Kurt Wesley for his performance at the 2023 Oceania Triathlon Cup Busselton.

Representing Australia on the World Triathlon stage since 2015, with 57 World Triathlon starts and having spent 5 months of 2022 in Europe to gain further racing and training experience, he has certainly been committed to the sport.

The 2023 Oceania Triathlon Cup Busselton was a Super Sprint eliminator format involving 3 races back-to-back, with the bottom 8 from each sprint being eliminated. Kurt won the first heat, before crossing line in 3rd place for the 2nd stage and securing his bronze medal in the final. A standout performance from Kurt.

FEMALE WINNER:

The 2022/ 2023 season has been an excellent one for our Female Individual Performance of the Year award winner. She has had an absolutely stellar run with National wins in the eastern states, and is a standout in terms of junior race results. It’s hard to single out just one performance as her best!

This year’s Individual Female Performance of the Year Award winner was Rhianna Hepburn!

Rhianna is a dedicated and consistent performer, who has had great success this season with the support of her Coach, Steve Gleeson, and the UWA tri club. This season Rhianna has achieved amazing results including:

• 2nd place at the 2023 Oceania Triathlon Junior Championships in Taupo in February and helping Australia to win the Oceania Junior Mixed relay title.
• 1st place and crowned Australian Junior Sprint Champion in Adelaide in April.
• Placed a very impressive 5th in 2023 Oceania Triathlon Cup Busselton in a very strong field of predominantly Elite and U23 competitors.

AWARD 7: Development Athlete of the Year

This award is for outstanding commitment, improvement, and performance throughout the season for an athlete in our Development Program. As well as:

• Attendance and attitude at training
• Commitment to team values and interaction
• Skills growth and continued improvement

The Triathlon WA Development Athlete of the Year Award for 2023 was presented to Ivan Nagel!

Ivan is always willing to assist and encourage others, and displays strong leadership qualities, which was reflected in his selection as captain of the WA School Sport Triathlon Team for two years in a row. He is friendly and positive and goes out of his way to engage and communicate with all members of the pathway team.  He regularly attends Pathway training and education sessions, and has also recorded very strong results across the season, including stepping up to compete in his first Oceania cup race in Busselton in April.

Champion Club

The Champion Club trophy is awarded annually to the club whose financial members accumulated the most points across the Triathlete of the Year Series. This includes both the Senior and the Junior Series.

The winner of the 2023 Champion Club Award is North Coast Triathlon Club.

Interclub Series Conference Champions

• The Winner of the North Conference is North Coast Triathlon Club
• The Winner of the South Conference is Mandurah Triathlon Club
• The Winner of the Regional Conference is Busselton Triathlon Club
• The Winner of the 2023 Interclub Overall Champion is Mandurah Triathlon Club

Triathlete of the Year (TOTY) Open Winners

Awards are presented to the top five male and female triathletes in the TWA Open Category.

View the full final TOTY standings here: https://www.triwa.com.au/triathlete-of-the-year-current-standings/

PLACE	MALE	FEMALE
1st	Zeke Tinley	Aleisha Wesley
2nd	Matt Burton	Rachael Smyth
3rd	Reece Harris	Sian Munks
4th	Nick Thompson	Herlene Yu
5th	James Martin	Felicity Sheedy-Ryan

Triathlete of the Year (TOTY) Age Group Winners

Awards are presented to the three highest point scoring male and female athletes in each age group

View the full final TOTY standings here: https://www.triwa.com.au/triathlete-of-the-year-current-standings/

FEMALE WINNERS

NAME	AGE GROUP	PLACE
Ava Rodgers	12-13 yrs	1ST
Lucy Henville	12-13 yrs	2ND
Isabella Neervoort	12-13 yrs	3RD
Ava Henville	14-15 yrs	1ST
Billie Mincham	14-15 yrs	2ND
Rebecca Puccini	14-15 yrs	3RD
Erin Driscoll	16-19 yrs	1ST
Bridie Crew	16-19 yrs	2ND
Kayla Bongers	16-19 yrs	3RD
Ella Phelan	20-24	1ST
Abbie Crew	20-24	2ND
Carolyn Wallace	20-24	3RD
Sarah Nisbet	25-29	1ST
Amie Thompson	25-29	2ND
Abigail Bygrave	25-29	3RD
Melanie Wade	30-34	1ST
Victoria Gill	30-34	2ND
Janne Liebmann	30-34	3RD
Emma Moon	35-39	1ST
Camilla Swenson	35-39	2ND
Naomi Bath	35-39	3RD
Rebecca Lewis	40-44	1ST
Nichole Pursell	40-44	2ND
Christina Ladyman	40-44	3RD
Kate Atkinson	45-49	1ST
Alison Thompson	45-49	2ND
Andrea Hopkin	45-49	3RD
Nikki Pursell	50-54	1ST
Susan Beattie	50-54	2ND
Lisa Hitchcock	50-54	3RD
Jane Hardy	55-59	1ST
Pip Laufmann	55-59	2ND
Sue Scott	55-59	3RD
Lise Ashton	60-64	1ST
Trish Vickery	60-64	2ND
June Ward	60-64	3RD
Vicki Kelly	65-69	1ST
Virginia Westwood	65-69	2ND (tie)
Audrey Hull	65-69	2ND (tie)
Pamela Williams	70-74	1ST
Anne Blatchford	70-74	2ND

MALE WINNERS

NAME	AGE GROUP	PLACE
Luke Williams	12-13 yrs	1ST
Cooper Smeulders	12-13 yrs	2ND
Brodie Wilkinson	12-13 yrs	3RD
Will Cramsie	14-15 yrs	1ST
Connor Fraser	14-15 yrs	2ND
Thor Sultana	14-15 yrs	3RD
Joshua Fletcher	16-19 yrs	1ST
Ivan Nagel	16-19 yrs	2ND
Christophe Gardner	16-19 yrs	3RD
Michael Orton	20-24	1ST
Jaxon Bilchuris	20-24	2ND
Chad Mckay	20-24	3RD
Aidan Clark	25-29	1ST
Min Gao	25-29	2ND
Lachie Tweedie	25-29	3RD
Rhys Williams	30-34	1ST
Claude Morris	30-34	2ND
James O’Neill	30-34	3RD
Joao Carlos Bernardes Neto	35-39	1ST
Philipp Albert	35-39	2ND
Zach Clark	35-39	3RD (tie)
Iain Miller	35-39	3RD (tie)
Andrew Malatios	40-44	1ST
Daniel Wedge	40-44	2ND
Mark Oakshott	40-44	3RD
Barry Williamson	45-49	1ST
Peter Brozicevich	45-49	2ND
Matt Genevieve	45-49	3RD
Russell Harris	50-54	1ST
Matt McKay	50-54	2ND
Jason Bonser	50-54	3RD
Andrew Johns	55-59	1ST
Lucky Phil Monks	55-59	2ND
Phillip Hays	55-59	3RD
Darryl Harris	60-64	1ST
Barry Silverlock	60-64	2ND
Geoff Large	60-64	3RD
Richard Burnell	65-69	1ST
John Hook	65-69	2ND
Edmund Kerr	65-69	3RD
David Whiteley	70-74	1ST
Geoffrey Grose	70-74	2ND
Dave Scott	75-79	1ST

The award of Life Membership is the highest honour Triathlon WA can bestow on an individual and is awarded in recognition of those who have made an outstanding contribution to the existence or effectiveness of the association during their membership. No more than two Life Memberships will be awarded on an annual basis.

CRITERIA

Each nomination for Life Membership of Triathlon WA will be considered on its individual merits. The criteria listed below is to be demonstrated over a minimum period of ten (10) years, unless exceptional circumstances are cited.

Decisions will be made on the basis of:

• Sustained service to triathlon in WA, that is well above what is normally expected;
• Significant leadership within triathlon in WA;
• Outstanding innovation in triathlon activities within WA;
• Strong support for Triathlon WA activities and programs;
• Enhancement of triathlon within the wider community;
• Financial member of Triathlon WA during the majority of the period of service 
• Uphold and demonstrate the values of Triathlon WA

Triathlon WA is calling for nominations for Life Membership. Nominations close 11:59pm on Sunday 7 May 2023.

The TWA Life Membership Policy can be found here.

The Nominations Panel will also be responsible for recommending nominees for the TWA Service to Sport Award.

As the sun rose over Rockingham Foreshore on Sunday 5 February 2023, more than 600 athletes were getting ready to compete in the Rockingham Foreshore Triathlon; a State Series event and the State Sprint Championship for the 2022/23 season.

A light spatter of rain and some sea breeze kept things cool for pack pickup and bike racking but the misty morning weather didn’t last long, with blue skies and sunshine setting the tone for a fantastic day of racing.

Races held on the day include the Scody Draft Legal Sprint, Fremantle Ports Sprint, Fremantle Ports Enticer and SunSmart Kids Triathlon.

Scody Draft Legal Sprint

Rockingham locals and event spectators alike were treated to an exhilarating and fast-paced Sprint race (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) featuring the crème de la crème of WA triathlon. People lined the course to cheer the 16-19 Juniors and Open athletes on, with some spectators even watching the cycle from balconies above the street!

Afternoon sun beat down on the sand and asphalt as our Draft Legal athletes zoomed around the course, giving 110% in the afternoon heat.

The Open Male field was extremely strong, and featured some of WA’s fastest and best male triathletes. In a nail biting sprint to the finish, returning Champion Zeke Tinley (Bunbury) claimed the crown for a second time, crossing the line in a sub-1 hour time of 00:59:14.69 – a second ahead of second place winner Kurt Wesley (North Coast, 00:59:15.34)! The two were neck and neck the entire race, both putting on extremely strong performances throughout the swim, bike and run. Fremantle athlete James Kjellgren-Lewis (01:00:48.60) was less than a minute behind Wesley to claim third, proving he can well and truly hold his own in the Open field.

Guy Crawford (Fremantle), Paul McKay (ADF), Reece Harris (Mandurah), Shayne Dimmer (Rockingham) and Rowan Kerr (XTR) rounded out the finishers, with James Martin (Mandurah) and Sam Mileham (Fremantle) unfortunately receiving a DSQ.

In the Open Female field UWA athlete Sian Munks completed the race in a time of just 01:05:40.91 – running through the finish tape to claim the title of 2022/23 State Sprint Champion! Current TOTY Champion Aleisha Wesley (North Coast) was just three seconds behind Munks to claim second (01:05:43.49), followed by Rhianna Hepburn (UWA) in third place with a time of 01:09:36.33.

Madison Toovey (North Coast), Herlene Yu (Fremantle) and Regine Goh (UWA) finished in fourth, fifth and sixth place respectively.

Our 16-19 Juniors also put on a phenomenal show, more than keeping up with the older athletes. In the 16-19 Male category Bunbury young-gun Christophe Gardner took home the State Title crossing the line in a blistering 01:02:12.72. Ivan Nagel (EFS) was just 2 seconds behind in second, and Joshua Fletcher (Exceed) another two seconds behind in third. The 16-19 Female field, although small, was still extremely competitive. North Coast Tri club teammates Erin Driscoll and Bridie Crew finished just 5 seconds apart to claim first and second place.

Fremantle Ports Sprint

Our Age Group athletes shone in the Fremantle Ports Sprint, taking on the challenge of a 750m swim, 18km cycle, and 5km run along the stunning Rockingham Foreshore.

James Lewin (Stadium), Brett Johnson (Perth), Joao Carlos Bernardes Neto (non-club), Mark Oakshott (non-club), Rhys Williams (North Coast) and Andrew Malatios (North Coast) all completed the course in less than 1 hour – an absolutely stellar achievement!

It was a fierce competition in the 20-24 Male field too, with the top three, Michael Orton (01:00:41, Fremantle), Jaxon Bilchuris (01:01:07, North Coast) and Chad McKay (01:02:14, Mandurah), all crossing the finish line within a consecutive minute of one another. An excellent race!

The 45-49 Female top three, Alison Thompson (Exceed), Kate Atkinson (Stadium) and Andrea Hopkin (Fremantle), also finished within consecutive minutes of each other.

In the 60-64 Male category, top two Darryl Harris (Mandurah) and Barry Silverlock (North Coast) finished less than 30 seconds apart! It was an awesome display of racing talent and passion for the sport across the board.

View the full results here.

Fremantle Ports Enticer

This distance was a State Series race for our 12-13 and 14-15 Juniors, plus a fantastic event for beginners of all ages.

In the 12-13 Male field, North Coast junior Luke Williams absolutely smashed it – beating second place Cooper Smeulders (Fremantle) to the finish line by nearly three minutes. EFS junior Brodie Wilkinson placed third, less than a minute behind Smeulders.

Fremantle juniors Ava Rodgers and Isabella Neervoort raced hard for first place in the 12-13 Female field with Rodgers getting the lead on the final stretch, crossing the line just seconds ahead of Neervoort. Lily Suckling (non-club) placed third.

The 14-15 Male field was equally competitive with Connor Fraser (Bunbury), Will Cramsie (North Coast) and Thor Sultana (North Coast) all crossing the line within a minute of one another to claim first, second and third spot respectively.

Ava Henville (Exceed) took out the top spot for the 14-15 Females, followed by Rebecca Puccini (UWA) in second and Megan McPherson (North Coast) in third. Fantastic results!

View the full results here.

With thanks to our Event Sponsors:

• City of Rockingham
• Fremantle Ports
• Tourism Rockingham
• Scody Australia
• Quest Apartment Hotel Rockingham
• The Beach Rock IGA, and
• Keep on Running

Thank you also to our Expo Retailers:

• PA Sports and Leisure
• Total Recovery
• Koda Nutrition

Bring your sun protection and filled water bottles folks! It’ll be a scorching 30+ degrees Celsius this Sunday 5 February 2023 for the Rockingham Foreshore Triathlon; a State Series race and our State Sprint Championships for the 2022/23 season. But it’s not just the sunshine creating the heat down at Bell Park; there’s an INCREDIBLE lineup of athletes set to hit the course.

More than 600 athletes, from beginners to elite, will be taking on the challenge. In 2023, the Rockingham Foreshore Triathlon will see the Fremantle Ports Enticer, Fremantle Ports Sprint, and SunSmart Kids Triathlon take place, rounded out by our Scody Draft Legal Sprint.

Scody Draft Legal Sprint

The field for the Scody Draft Legal Sprint is epic, with 18 Open athletes and 15 of our 16-19 Juniors putting the pedal to the metal. It’ll be a race to stick around for!

The Open field includes current TOTY Champs and 2022 Foreshore Tri winners Aleisha Wesley (North Coast) and Zeke Tinley (Bunbury), plus young-guns Kurt Wesley (North Coast), Reece Harris (Mandurah), James Kjellgren-Lewis (Fremantle), Sam Mileham (Fremantle), Rowan Kerr (XTR), Rhianna Hepburn (UWA) , Herlene Yu (Fremantle), Sian Munks (UWA), Indie Arbuckle (XTR) and Madi Toovey (North Coast). Some of WA’s best including Guy Crawford (Fremantle), James Martin (Mandurah) and Paul McKay (ADF) are also vying for the top spot.

They’ll be competing with some of our top 16-19 Juniors too, including lightning fast athletes Josh Neervoort (Fremantle), Josh Fletcher (Exceed), Ivan Nagel (EFS), Jett Sultana (North Coast), Daniel Stewart (EFS), Daniel Buis (North Coast), Josh Pedlow (Exceed), Connor Richards (North Coast), Eric Aspeling (Mandurah), Jacob Palmer (Exceed), Ryan McPherson (North Coast), Erin Driscoll (North Coast), Christophe Gardner (Bunbury), Will Holden (North Coast), and Bridie Crew (North Coast).

Fremantle Ports Sprint

The Age Group field is also extremely strong with some pretty quick TOTY contenders racing for the State Crown. We’ll have almost the entire current 20-24 TOTY list racing for points, including Ella Phelan (Stadium), Lauren Nash (XTR), Jaxon Bilchuris (North Coast), Chad McKay (Mandurah) and Freo clubmates Michael Orton and Andrew Flint. It’ll be neck and neck at the finish line!

We’ll also have 2021/22 Season TOTY Age Group winners including Melanie Wade (Stadium), Emma Moon (Phoenix), Andrew Malatios (North Coast), Rebecca Lewis (Exceed), Bart Hollemans (Oceanic), Matt McKay (Mandurah), Emma Leonard (North Coast), Lucky Phil Monks (North Coast), Barry Silverlock (North Coast), Trish Vickery (Busselton) and Jenny Owen (EFS) taking on the course – so we’re in for some awesome racing across the board!

The Brynt McSwain Trophy

Continuing a long standing tradition, the Brynt McSwain Trophy will once again be awarded to the fastest male triathlete at the Triathlon WA State Sprint Championships. Past winners include the likes of Ryan Bailie, Luke Bate, and Jonney Sammut.

Brynt McSwain was a Triathlon WA member and previous State Champion who tragically lost his life in 2014. The trophy named in his honour will be presented at the Rockingham Foreshore Triathlon by Brynt’s mother Snow, and proudly displayed year-round at Churchill Cycles in Booragoon where Brynt worked.

Slip Slop Slap, Seek, Slide & Stay Hydrated!

It’s going to be HOT this Sunday, so please make sure you’re being SunSmart as much as possible, drinking plenty of water and keeping yourself cool. The UV will be high, so wear your sunglasses, hat, long sleeved shirt and sunscreen wherever possible. Seek shade where you can and make sure to bring a few FILLED bottles of water. We’ll also have a water station where you can refill as needed. You can also pop into the water for a quick dip to cool off if needed! Just avoid the swim course area.

Learn more about being SunSmart here: www.sunsmart.com.au

With thanks to our Event Sponsors:

• City of Rockingham
• Fremantle Ports
• Tourism Rockingham
• Scody Australia
• Quest Apartment Hotel Rockingham
• The Beach Rock IGA, and
• Keep on Running

Triathlon WA is proud to announce a partnership with StretchLab, a leading provider of personalised stretching and flexibility services. StretchLab is a unique wellness concept, offering customised assisted-stretch sessions. No two bodies are the same and no two stretches at StretchLab are the same. One-on-one stretching is about identifying tightness and imbalances in your body and customising a stretch routine that is just for you.

Through this partnership, Triathlon WA members will be eligible to receive special discounts on StretchLab services. This partnership will provide Triathlon WA members with access to stretching and flexibility services that can help improve performance, reduce the risk of injury, and enhance overall wellbeing. The discounts will be available at all StretchLab locations across Western Australia – Highgate, South Perth, Claremont and Currambine. We look forward to providing our members with this unique opportunity and helping them reach their goals.

TWA Member exclusive offer/s:

• 1x free 25-minute stretch per Triathlon WA Premium and Standard Members
• 15% ongoing discount for Triathlon WA Standard Members and 20% ongoing discount for Triathlon WA Premium Members

Triathlon Western Australia is pleased to announce the election of Brenden Koh as President of the organisation. Henrietta Farrell has been elected as Vice President.

We thank our outgoing President, Steve Lyon, for his service and the dedication he has shown over the past years. Thanks to Steve’s leadership and expertise in risk management and strategy, our organisation remained strong through the COVID-19 Pandemic and into 2022.

Triathlon WA Executive Director, Glenn Te Raki, said the organisation was excited to have Brenden stepping up into the President role.

“Brenden brings a strong understanding of the sport as well as prior Board and leadership experience. He will undoubtably bring enthusiasm and energy to his leadership of the Board alongside Vice President, Henrietta Farrell,” said Te Raki.

New Triathlon WA President Brenden Koh says he is excited to be taking on the Presidency and looks forward to continuing the growth of the organisation and sport.

“I’d like to thank the TWA board for my election as President of TWA and am humbled by the support from all of the people within our wonderful Triathlon community,” said Koh.

“We should all be proud to be part of TWA and where it is going. As an organisation we must continue to adapt, challenge the status quo, and set the sport up for future successes.

“To our community – please continue to take part and get involved because this sport is as good as we make it,” he said.

We look forward to seeing the positive impact Brenden and Henrietta will have in the coming years, and congratulate them on their election.

BRENDEN KOH – TWA PRESIDENT PROFILE

Brenden joined the Triathlon WA Board in 2019, and is a senior management leader with over 15 years of experience in professional roles spanning Risk, Human Resource Management, Operations management and Health & Safety. He holds a degree in Health Science, Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety, and a Master in Business Administration as well as AICD qualification in Advance Governance and is currently employed as Senior Health & Safety Business partner with an ASX100 listed company.

Brenden completed his first Triathlon in 2008 and has always been an active member of the UWA Triathlon Club, including the role of President from 2010 until 2018 and is a strong advocate for triathlon clubs and the role they play in this sport. He has previously raced in the Age Group Championships for Australia, completed the Busselton Ironman and also completed 11 Ironman 70.3 races.  His other hobbies include rugby, diving, fishing and camping. 

He is a father of two young daughters, and is extremely keen to see this sport continue to develop and flourish in Western Australia for the benefit of all our members.

HENRIETTA FARRELL – TWA VICE PRESIDENT PROFILE

Henrietta has served on the TWA board for the past year, and brings over 16 years experience at major international events (Commonwealth Games, Olympics) in a senior marketing lead role. More recently, she has gained experience with the State Government, managing stakeholder management and communications with the construction of Perth Stadium. Henrietta has been involved in triathlon sport as a participant and volunteer since 2014.

Following the Triathlon Western Australia (TWA) Annual General Meeting on Saturday 22 October 2022, we are pleased to announce the election of three new Board Members and the re-election of one Board Member.

Bruce McCully

• Senior Executive Management
• Leadership Management
• Property Management Funding

Bruce holds a Master of Business Administration, and has over 21 years of Business experience. His previous roles include Head of Retail and General Manager at Primewest, State Property Manager at Coles Group and Regional Manager at Macquarie Group.

“I am very excited to give back to the sport that has meant so much to me in recent years. The triathlon community is full of inspiring and talented people and being on the board of this organisation is a wonderful opportunity,” he said.

Henrietta Farrell

• Marketing and Public Relations
• Communications Managment
• Government Relationships and Engagement

Henrietta is a returning Board Member this season. She is a senior executive leader with over 20 years of experience in high-profile project delivery and she recently graduated from the Australian Institute of Company Directors. With a focus on delivering outstanding customer experiences, her career has focused on commercial sports and communications projects in both the public and private sectors in Perth, Melbourne and London.

“I am thrilled to be rejoining the Triathlon WA board and look forward to giving back to the sport that has given me so much”, she said.

Emma Ridley

• Experienced in Project and Marketing Management
• Digital Transformation
• Strategic Brand Management
• Sponsorship Management
• Governance and Risk

Emma is an experienced Marketing and Event professional with more than 11 years experience in the field. Her past roles include the likes of Event and Partnerships Coordinator for IRONMAN (melbourne), Event Coordinator for the Fremantle Dockers Football Club, Brand Manager at HBF Health and Marketing Manager at Adelaide Football club.

“I am delighted to join the board to support the ongoing success of the sport, our clubs, and the tri community. I look forward to giving back to the sport that has given me so much to me over the last decade,” she said.

Kate McRobb

• Experienced Professional Engineer with further expertise in
• Risk and Performance Management
• Project Management – Strategy

Kate holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (hons.) and a Business Certificate. She has more than 12 years experience as an Engineer at Woodside Energy, having taken on roles including Business Planner, Optimization Engineer and Development Lead.

“Triathlon has given me so many great opportunities, I now look forward to supporting and contributing to TWAs ongoing success,” she said.

On behalf of the Executive Director of Triathlon WA we welcome our newest elected Board members and look forward to working together to continue growing our sport.

The EXSS Sprint Duathlon was held on Sunday 16 October 2022. Warm but windy conditions greeted more than 130 athletes at Champion Lakes for the State Duathlon Championship event.

The crown was well and truly up for grabs in the Open Female field, with reigning Duathlon and Triathlete of the Year (TOTY) Champion Aleisha Wesley (North Coast) logging a DNS due to injury. Late entrant Felicity Sheedy-Ryan (UWA) put on a strong performance to take home the title in a time of 1:03:26.7. Fremantle athlete Rachael Smyth finished less than a minute behind Sheedy-Ryan to claim second, with fellow Fremantle club-mate Herlene Yu hot on her heels in third. Katherine Ryan (Stadium), Indie Arbuckle (XTR) and Alexandra Meek (UWA) rounded out the top 6. Sian Munks (UWA) unfortunately did not finish after coming off her bike midway through the race. We wish Sian a speedy recovery.

In the Open Male field, it was a nail-biting sprint to the finish with less than 2 minutes between the top three athletes. Reigning TOTY Champion Zeke Tinley (Bunbury) raced home to claim the Title in just 54:38.5. Jonathan Sammut (UWA) made a triumphant return to racing to claim second, followed closely by Sam Mileham (Fremantle) in third. Reece Harris (Mandurah), Paul MacKay (ADF), Rowan Kerr (XTR) and Ronan Hays (Mandurah) rounded out the top 7.

There were a number of notable performances from Age-Group athletes. Joao Carlos Bernardes Neto (non-club) outpaced several of the open athletes to land in 5th place overall, and top of his age-group. Clodagh Glynn (Stadium), Janne Leibmann (Fremantle), and Anna Massey (Exceed) all placed in the top 10 females overall.

Junior athletes shone bright, with finishing times not far off those of the Open athletes. Josh Fletcher (Exceed) and Josh Neervort (Fremantle) showed they could keep up with the big boys, not only snagging the top 2 podium places in the 16-19 Male category but also both placing in the top 10 overall. 16-19 Female athlete Erin Driscoll (North Coast) also placed in the top 10 females overall with an impressive time of 1:10:09.7.

View full results here: https://my.raceresult.com/203371/#0_8A4B11

The EXSS Sprint Duathlon was the first Triathlon WA Senior and Junior State Series race of the 2022/23 season, and the WA State Duathlon Championship for all Senior Age Groups. All eligible athletes earnt points toward Triathlete of the Year – who will win this season?! Keep an eye on our website for the leaderboard update.

The next State Series race for juniors is the EXSS Sprint Triathlon on Sunday, 27 November, and for seniors it will be the City of Joondalup Coastal Quest on Sunday, 18 December.

The first State Series race of the 2022/23 season is set to light up Champion Lakes Regatta Centre from 8am on Sunday 16 October 2022! The EXSS Duathlon is the Triathlon WA State Duathlon Championships, with more than 115 athletes taking on the challenge of a 5km Run, 20km Bike, 2.5km Run.

There will be fierce competition in the Open female category, with a fantastic field of local talent set to race. Reigning State Duathlon Champion and Triathlete of the Year (TOTY) Aleisha Wesley (North Coast) will go head to head with experienced triathlete Katherine Ryan (Stadium), hot-shot Indie Arbuckle (XTR), and newcomers Sian Munks (UWA), Rachael Smyth (Fremantle), Alexandra Meek (UWA) and Herlene Yu (Fremantle).

A smaller Open Male field will make for a fast-paced race to the finish for reigning Triathlete of the Year Zeke Tinley (Bunbury), Rowan Kerr (XTR), and Mandurah young-guns Ronan Hays and Reece Harris.

There’s a wealth of experience in the Age-Group field, with TOTY ranking athletes like Michael Orton (Fremantle), Aidan Clark (Mandurah), Min Gao (UWA), Rebecca Kierath (Exceed), Bryant Ware (Fremantle), Agostino Zurzolo (UWA), Melanie Wade (Stadium), Janne Leibmann (Fremantle), Clodagh Glynn (Stadium), Joao Neto (non-club), Andrew Malatios (North Coast), Rebecca Lewis (Exceed), Greg Saunt (North Coast), Russell Harris (Mandurah), Craig Abbleby (Stadium), Pip Laufmann (Stadium), Fiona Longden (North Coast), Trish Vickery (Busselton), Darryl Harris (Mandurah), and Richard Burnell (EFS) set to take the start line.

The junior 16-19 field includes the likes of Connor Richards (North Coast), Josh Neervoort (Fremantle), Bridie Crew (North Coast), and Erin Driscoll (North Coast) among some other incredible young triathletes.

We’ll also see some of our former juniors like Abbie Crew (North Coast) stepping up to the Senior age groups this season.

Best of luck to all athletes participating in the State Duathlon Championships!