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The SunSmart Busselton Festival of Triathlon is set to take place in WA’s beautiful southwest town over the weekend of 29 April – 1 May 2022. More than 1700 athletes will travel 2.5 hours out of Perth to participate in this iconic event that is now in its 21^st year.

The Keep on Running Busselton Fun Run on Friday night features a 500m, a 1.6km and a 5km race with a significant prize up for grabs in the Open category of the 5km event. The Festival’s marquee event, the Busselton 100 will commence at 7:30am on Saturday, 30 April with triathletes swimming 2km alongside the iconic Busselton Jetty, cycling 80km through the stunning Tuart Forrest and running 18km along the gorgeous Busselton foreshore.

On Sunday, the inaugural Foreshore Enticer (200m swim, 8km bike, 2km run) and Sprint (750m swim, 16km bike, 4km run) events will see over 300 participants take to the start line, making it a sellout event in its first year. Two SunSmart Kids Triathlons (short course – 100m swim, 2km cycle, 500m run and long course – 200m swim, 4km cycle, 1km run) will also take place on Sunday with more than 250 juniors giving it their all.

The Busselton 100 doubles as the Triathlon WA State Long Course Championship and is the last opportunity for WA athletes to earn themselves Triathlete of the Year (TOTY) points for the 2021/22 season. Following the Busselton 100, the Senior TOTY boards will be finalised and the winners will be announced at the Triathlon WA Annual Awards.

Current Open Male TOTY leader, Zeke Tinley (Bunbury) will be chasing the win to add to his tally, making him the only Open Male to participate in all nine races in the 2021/22 State Series. Seasoned triathlete, Guy Crawford (Fremantle) will also be vying for TOTY points so he can move up from third place on the leaderboard. James Martin (Bunbury) and Alex Stuart (Fremantle) will also be taking to the start line against young guns Kurt Wesley (North Coast) and Leighton Cook (UWA). Mark Radziejewski (Non-Club) will be stepping up to the Open Elite field for the first time in this year’s Senior State Series as preparation for the World Championships in Hawaii later this year.

There will be an impressive lineup in the Female Open category with reigning TOTY, Felicity Sheedy-Ryan (UWA) participating in her 6^th Busselton Long Course event against Dimity-Lee Duke (Bunbury) who recently won the State Cross Tri Championship at X-Adventure Dunsborough. Adding to the fierce competition will be experienced triathletes Kate Bevilaqua (Fremantle) and Katherine Ryan (Stadium) who will be fighting for second place on the TOTY leaderboard. WA athletes Jude Millard (Non-Club) and Jessica Claxton (Team XTR) will also be chasing the State Long Course Championship title.

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Excitement is building for this fantastic weekend of racing in Busselton! Triathlon WA is pleased to be presenting the last event on the 2021/22 season calendar and looks forward to announcing the TOTY winners at the Annual Awards on Sunday, 22 May at Ambrose Estate.

Friends and family who cannot attend the Festival will be able to follow all the action of the Busselton 100 and Aquabike events through the BlueChip Timing Live Tracker or the live stream of the finish line on the Busselton Festival of Triathlon Facebook page or Triathlon WA YouTube channel.

Hundreds of triathletes ventured down to Dunsborough, Western Australia, over the weekend of Saturday 2 to Sunday 3 April 2022 for the 10^th year of the X-Adventure Dunsborough. Hosted by Rapid Ascent, the challenging course presented athletes with a fast-paced and picturesque ocean swim, off-road bike on the single tracks of Meelup Regional Park, and trail run through the rugged coastal terrain at Geographe Bay.

The weekend featured five different off-road races including the Long Course race which was completed solo, or in a relay team; plus the Short Course race (700m ocean swim, 6km coastal trail run and 11km mountain bike), the Aquathlon-X event (1km swim, 5km trail run); and two specific-kids events.

The Long Course X-Adventure was a 2023 ITU WQE and the 2021/22 Triathlon WA Cross-Tri Championships, with both a coveted state title and Triathlete of the Year (TOTY) points up for grabs.

In the Open Male field, young-gun Zeke Tinley (Bunbury) finished in a blistering time of 2:21:39 to claim the WA State Cross-Tri Title and valuable TOTY points. This performance keeps Tinley at the top of the TOTY ladder, with just one State Series race remaining in the season.

TWA Age Group winners, Mitch McKenzie (Mandurah), Brendon Dimmer (Mandurah), Chad Mead (Bunbury), Cedric Boudier (Non-Club), Kevin Netto (Non-Club), Andy Johns (Bunbury), Richard Burnell (EFS) and David Whiteley (Mandurah) also put on an amazing show of skill to earn 21 TOTY points.

In the Open Female field, Dimity-Lee Duke (Bunbury) showed her mountain-biking prowess along the tough trails to cross the finish line in first place and claim the State Cross-Tri Title in a time of 2:53:19. Local legend Felicity Sheedy-Ryan (UWA) claimed second in the Open Female category with a great time of 3:11:42 and Katherine Ryan (Stadium) came in third with a time of 3:25:11.

WA athletes Kate Mead (Perth), Michelle Carranza (Fremantle), Kate Atkinson (Stadium), Diana Barnett (Busselton), Pip Laufmann (Stadium) and Sue Scott (North Coast) gave it their all with impressive times to take out the win in their respective Age Group categories.

Other notable performances from WA athletes include that of Bart Hollemans (Oceanic), Marcus Rooney (Stadium), Simon Thompson, Adam Passmore, Ben Aldous (Phoenix), Shayne Brownlie, Chad Mead (Bunbury), Shaun Preston, Reece Greenem (Mandurah), Andrew Bitmead, Sophie Forrest, Kate Mead (Perth), Henrietta Ireland, Sue Scott (North Coast), Kate Atkinson (Stadium), Jane Hardy (Busselton), Madeline Davey, Shannon Hill, Pip Laufmann (Stadium), Naomi Bath (Perth).

After an intense weekend of off-road racing, athletes now look ahead to the last State Series event of the 2021/22 season – the SunSmart Busselton 100. This race is set to take place on Saturday, 30 April as the Marquee event at the SunSmart Busselton Festival of Triathlon.

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 5pm on Tuesday, 26 April.

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.

The Triathlon WA 2021/22 Annual Awards will be held on Sunday, 22 May at Ambrose Estate in Wembley. The Sundowner event will commence at 3:00pm and conclude at 5:30pm. Tickets on sale soon.

Triathlon WA is calling for nominations for the below awards. Nominations close 5pm on Tuesday, 26 April.

Service to Sport Award

The Service to Sport Award is intended to recognise an individual who has demonstrated outstanding
service to the sport of triathlon over an extended period of time. This Award allows for recognition of
an individual whose service may not be directly associated with TWA but has provided significant
benefit to the sport at a club, event or other association level.
Nomination for the Service to Sport Award will be called for in conjunction with the call for Life
Member nominations. Individuals nominated for the Service to Sport Award will be assessed by the
panel convened to consider TWA Life Memberships. The panel will present recommendations to the
Board who will make final decisions on successful nominees. In selecting a recipient, the Board will
take into consideration:
• Service to the sport over an extended period (minimum of ten years)
• Service to the sport above and beyond what is normally expected
• Significant leadership in the sport
• Contribution to the enhanced standing of triathlon in the community
• The recipient being in good standing with TWA

Coach of the Year Award

This Award is intended to recognise individuals who demonstrated a commitment and dedication to
coaching Western Australian triathletes, and who have helped Australian triathletes to achieve
significant competition success at both the age group and the High-Performance level.
To be eligible for the Award nominees must be current members of TWA and a currently accredited
triathlon coach at the time of their nomination.

Community Coach of the Year Award

This award is intended to recognise and honour Western Australian triathlon coaches who have
demonstrated a commitment and dedication to coaching WA triathletes over the previous season.
To be eligible for the award, nominees must be current members of TWA and accredited triathlon
coaches at the time of nomination. Nominees will be considered based on their coaching of age
group triathletes and proven demonstration of;
• Engagement
• Integrity
• Community
• And commitment to growing the sport of triathlon in WA

Triathlon Western Australia is also calling for Life Membership Nominations. Click Here to nominate a Life Member.

Triathlon WA is excited to be partnering with a strength and conditioning organisation, Diamond Fitness. As part of the partnership, Triathlon WA members will receive a discounted gym membership at both Diamond Fitness locations (Osborne Park and Thornlie) which includes a triathlon-specific strength and conditioning program and support from personal trainers. Members will also be able to access educational workshops run by qualified exercise scientists.

Strength and conditioning assists in preparing the body to handle the rigors of participating in sports. In the case of triathlon, it reduces the likelihood of injury by correcting muscle imbalances and identifying weaknesses in a specific athlete. This also improves functional movement capacity, posture, technique, and range of motion allowing for increased overall performance. 

Diamond Fitness’ CEO, Dean White said, “Diamond Fitness is truly excited to partner with Triathlon WA. We are committed to assisting athletes improve their performance through strength and conditioning, education and cutting edge sports science. We’d like to offer 2 weeks free in April or May to all TWA members who are interested in finding out more about Diamond and what we can offer”.

If you are a current Triathlon WA member and are interested in learning more, visit the Diamond Fitness website, email info@diamondfitness.com.au or call Dean on 0439 700 083.

The X-Adventure Dunsborough will see approximately 1,500 participants race through paradise in WA’s Southwest on Saturday 2^nd and Sunday 3^rd April 2022. Delivered by Rapid Ascent and sponsored by Siras Performance, this unique event takes place along the stunning Geographe Bay coastline and is one that many triathletes look forward to year upon year.

Australia’s largest off-road triathlon has something for everyone with a short course (750m swim / 6km run / 11km bike), a long course (1500m swim / 12km run / 20km bike), two kids races and an aquathlon. Athletes of all ages can complete the ocean swim, trail run and mountain bike ride individually or in a relay team. Taking place on Saturday, 2^nd April, the Long Course race is the Triathlon WA State Off-Road Triathlon Championship and an ITU World Championship qualifying event.

Zeke Tinley (Bunbury) will be chasing another Championship Title this weekend to maintain his top spot on the Triathlete of The Year (TOTY) Leaderboard. New to the Open Category scene, Simon Billeau (Stadium) will be racing for another podium finish after a third-place finish at the Karri Valley Triathlon last month.

Seasoned Pro, Katherine Ryan (Stadium), will take to the start line to show off her skills and athletic ability along this challenging off-road track. A win at the X-Adventure Dunsborough will earn Ryan TOTY points and put her in good stead for a top three finish in the Open Female category. Another newcomer to the Open category, Lara Louw (Fremantle) will also be looking to earn TOTY points and make her mark in the triathlon scene.

Many age group athletes will also be hoping to earn TOTY points at this race. Current Female 35-39 age group TOTY leader, Emma Moon (Phoenix) will be competing to extend her winning streak and increase her lead. Pip Laufmann (Stadium) and Nikki Pursell (Fremantle) will battle it out in the 50-54 age group category for a chance to claim top spot on the ladder.

Current TOTY leader in the Male 45-49, Bart Hollemans (Oceanic) will have some strong competition when he takes to the start line against Cedric Boudier (Non-Club), Marcus Rooney (Stadium) and Peter Brozicevich (Fremantle). The impressive David Whiteley (Mandurah) will be vying for a third State Series win this season in the 70-74 age group category.

Triathlon WA is excited to be hosting the last State Championship event on the 2021/22 calendar at the end of this month. The inaugural Busselton 100 will serve as the State Long Course Championship on Saturday, 30 April 2022.

The Triathlon Western Australia State Aquathlon Championships took place at the Joondalup Autumn Aquathlon on Monday, 7 March. Organised by XTR Multisports, this year the event saw record participation numbers and an incredibly competitive field.

Over 200 triathletes were treated to sunny skies and balmy 30-degree easterlies, making for perfect swimming conditions at Mullaloo Beach.

In the Elite men’s field, Zeke Tinley (Bunbury) took out the win in an incredible time of just 00:30:57.45 earning him the title of 2022 WA Male State Aquathlon Champion. This victory keeps Tinley at the top of the TOTY leaderboard, following an outstanding win at the Rockingham Foreshore Triathlon last month.

In a nail-biting race to the finish, hotshot James Kjellgren-Lewis (Fremantle) crossed the line just 28 seconds behind to claim second place, with James Lewin (Stadium) just another 16 seconds adrift to claim third place.

Daniel Buis (North Coast), James Martin (Bunbury) and Guy Crawford (Fremantle) also put in strong performances, finishing just minutes behind the top 3.

In the Elite Women’s field, we saw excellent performances all round. After a break from competition earlier in the season, defending Aquathlon Champion and reigning Triathlete of the Year Felicity Sheedy-Ryan (UWA) showed exactly why she holds the crown, crossing the finish line to claim first place in just 00:34:00.07. This win earns her the title of 2022 WA Female State Aquathlon Champion.

Young-gun Indie Arbuckle (Team XTR) dominated in the swim leg but trailed behind Sheedy-Ryan in the final sprint to the finish to claim second place. Seasoned athletes Kate Bevilaqua (Fremantle) and Katherine Ryan (Stadium) were just minutes behind to claim third and fourth place respectively.

Age group athletes put on an impressive show of skill, several finishing with faster times than the Elite athletes.

17-year-old Joshua Neervort (Fremantle) gave the older male athletes a run for their money, crossing the line in a time of just 00:31:57.91 – less than a second behind Lewin – to claim first place in the 16-19 age group.

Female age group athlete Katya Anderson finished just 15 seconds behind Arbuckle, with Petra Jerejian (North Coast) just 1 second behind Anderson. Rebecca Clarke, Emma Moon (Phoenix), Emily White (Exceed), Sarah Nisbet (Stadium), and Janne Liebmann (Fremantle) gave impressive performances to finish the race less than five minutes behind 2022 State Aquathlon Champion Sheedy-Ryan.

Male age group athletes Andrew Malatios (Exceed), Phillipp Albert (North Coast), Jacob Palmer, Brynn Wells (Bunbury) and Jack McCleay (Exceed) all finished less than 5 minutes behind 2022 State Aquathlon Champion Tinley, each topping the podium in their age category.

In the junior Long Course field, we saw incredible performances from the likes of Lachlan Bean, Cian Corcoran, Rebecca Clarke, Daniel Stewart, Jonathan Clarke, and Abbie Crew (North Coast).

The next Senior State Series race is the Karri Valley Triathlon, happening Saturday, 19 March at Karri Valley in Western Australia’s gorgeous South-West region.

International Womens Day 2022 is all about celebrating the achievements of women, raising awareness against bias and taking action for equality. It aims to help create a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive. To celebrate, we asked some inspiring women in our Triathlon WA community to share why they love the sport, some of their greatest achievements and advice for women who are new to our sport.

Our first profile is the incredible Sally Pilbeam; Paratriathlete, technical official, teacher, and mum of two.

Sally lost her right arm due to cancer in 2002, but didn’t let that hold her back. She is an incredible paratriathlete, using a modified bike to compete in ITU cycling races. The two-time winner of the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final, has been a huge success, having topped the podium in 2014 in Alberta, Canada, and 2015 in Chicago, USA.

You can read her full World Triathlon profile here.

How did you get involved in Triathlon and what is your role now?
My Dad has been involved in triathlon since the beginning, so it was something I was part of as a teenager. After having my boys I decided to have another go to see if I could still participate after losing my arm. I raced internationally for 8 years, and after stepping back from that I have since become a technical official. I still train and am looking forward to getting back out again soon.

What do you enjoy most about Triathlon?
I love that anyone can do it and that it caters for all abilities – short distance, ultra distance and everything in between! I also love the challenge of doing 3 different sports. There are so many ways to be involved too, whether its racing, coaching or officiating or even just volunteering.

What is your greatest achievement in Triathlon, what are you most proud of?
Winning multiple World Championships is certainly one of the highlights, but I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve been part of the development of paratriathlon in Australia. The experiences I’ve had travelling the world and racing with other athletes across the globe has been amazing.

What is your advice for any women who are wanting to start participating in Triathlon?
Do it!!! Just try it out. Start small – like the Women Only races (Every Woman Triathlon is coming up soon)! I can honestly say that crossing the finish line in your first triathlon is a feeling like nothing else!!

What are some of the benefits you have seen for female athletes and technical officials in our sport?
Definitely making new friends and working with like-minded people. I’ve learnt so much from coaches, officials and other athletes, both men and women. I like the fact that males and females race at the same time over the same course in local races and there are females represented in all aspects of triathlon in WA – coaching, officiating, participation, administration and executive.

The State Aquathlon Championships will take place on the stunning Mullaloo Beach this Monday, 7 March 2022. More than 200 participants will spend their Labour Day Public Holiday running, swimming, and running again at the Joondalup Autumn Classic.

The event consists of a Trystars race (500m Run / 100m Swim / 500m Run), a Juniors race (1km Run / 300m Swim / 1km Run), a Short Course race (1km Run / 300m Swim / 1km Run), a Long Course race (2.5km Run / 1km Swim / 2.5km Run), a 1500m swim challenge and an Enduro Sprint (500m Run / 150m Swim / 500m Run / 150m Swim / 500m Run). The Long Course race is a WA State Sprint Series and an Age Group ITU World Championship Qualifying race.

New COVID-19 restrictions introduced by the WA Government from Thursday, 3 March 2022 means the event will have less spectators than originally anticipated. Only parents/guardians and other immediate family members of the competitors are permitted to attend the race and cheer them on. The new rules for community sport won’t stop the competition from heating up on course when the athletes display their skills in perfect race conditions.   

After winning four straight Junior State Series titles in the 16-19 age group category, James Kjellgren-Lewis (Fremantle) will step up to the Open Male category for the State Aquathlon Championships. The seventeen-year-old will be put to the test as he races against reigning Open Category Triathlete of the Year (TOTY), Zeke Tinley (Bunbury) and experienced triathletes James Martin (Bunbury) and Guy Crawford (Fremantle). James Lewin (Stadium) and Daniel Buis (North Coast) will be debuting in this Triathlon WA State Series this long weekend.

Young gun Indie Arbuckle (Team XTR) will be looking to close the gap on the Female Open TOTY leaderboard between her and current leader, Aleisha Wesley (North Coast). Wesley has a five-race winning streak but is currently not on the start list. Seasoned athlete Kate Bevilaqua (Fremantle) will be racing for another podium finish after coming third at the Rockingham Foreshore Triathlon.

With Kjellgren-Lewis moving up to the Open Male category, there will be a battle for first place in the 16-19 Male age group category between Joshua Neervoort (Fremantle) and Jackson Shaw (Bunbury). Emily White (Exceed) will be adding to her TOTY lead in the Junior Female 16-19 category when she completes the long course race on Monday.

With a 35% increase in registrations compared to last year, including 144 juniors, it is sure to be a fantastic day of racing at the Joondalup Autumn Classic on Monday, 7 March 2022.

Triathlon WA is seeking a Membership Representative to join our Constitution Review Working Group. Commencing in March 2022, TWA will be conducting an extensive review of the current constitution and providing recommendations to the TWA Board.

We are seeking a current financial member of the organisation with the following skills and experience;

• Is actively involved in the sport and can represent the current views of the broader membership
• Has some experience in the workings of a club, sporting body or not-for-profit
• Has the capacity to dedicate around 2-3 hours a month to the group for the next 4-6 months
• Has an interest in business governance and continuous improvement
• Is collaborative, engaged and communicates well

To be considered, please provide a short overview of your experience and skills in line with the criteria above to ashleigh.apps@wa.triathlon.org.au no later than 5:00pm Friday, 11 March 2022.

Click here to view the Terms of Reference.