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As the sun rose on Sunday, 6 February 2022, 500 triathletes were getting ready to race along the stunning Rockingham Foreshore. Highlighted by the golden light peeking through the trees at Bell Park, athletes were treated to perfect racing conditions – a calm 22 degrees with a light sea breeze and glass-like blue water. As hundreds of bikes were racked in transition, club alley was rearing and ready to go; filled with the excitable, frenetic energy only a big race morning brings. Expo holders had their wares on display, assisting athletes with caffeination, gear and mobilisation before all the action kicked off as the clock struck 7.

The Rockingham Foreshore Triathlon was a WA State Series Event organised and executed by Triathlon WA. The event included a SunSmart Kids Triathlon (100m swim, 3km bike, 500m run), an Enticer Triathlon (200m swim, 7km bike, 2km run) and a Sprint Triathlon (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) race.

The littlest triathletes were up first, receiving their brief on the beach before taking off like rockets. Spurred on by the cheers and smiles of friends, family, and older athletes, they barrelled through the course to the finish line like unstoppable trains to claim their medals and big hugs from loved ones.

The Enticer competitors took to the course next, novice athletes and seasoned athletes alike. The sun took its opportunity to shine, bringing gorgeous sunshine to the course and some warmth for the athletes as they emerged from the ocean and headed towards transition. After some impressive performances on the bike and run course, we saw the first of the Enticer competitors racing up the final stretch to the finish arch.

EFS athlete Ivan Nagel was the first Enticer athlete to cross the finish line in a blistering 22 minutes and 6 seconds. Hot on his heels were fellow School Sport WA teammates, Connor Richards (North Coast) and Will Cramsie (North Coast) who finished second and third respectively. The first Enticer female to finish was Erin Driscoll (North Coast) who beat her club mate, Bridie Crew (North Coast) by less than two seconds and Billie Mincham (Fremantle) took third place, mere moments behind. These 14-15 age group category athletes dominated the Enticer race, proving they can more than keep up with the older athletes.

With reigning Ironman Matt Burton (Oceanic) pulling out of the Sprint distance race last minute due to an injury, the first-place crown was well and truly open for the taking. The competition was tight with experienced triathlete Guy Crawford (Fremantle) leading the pack for most of the race. It was a thrilling race as spectators and fellow athletes lined the edges of the bike and run course, hoping to catch a glimpse of the action. Young gun Zeke Tinley (Bunbury) put the pedal to the metal on the run course, overtaking Crawford and flying home to claim State Sprint distance champion in an impressive time of 00:56:28. Crawford came in second a minute later and Para triathlete, David Bryant (Oceanic) finished in just under an hour to take third place.

During his podium interview, Tinley stated “I feel like I’ve been working hard for a long time and it’s catching up. I’ve really been enjoying it and I’m so lucky to have the support around me.” He thanked Keep on Running and the City of Rockingham for supporting the Rockingham Foreshore Triathlon, Triathlon WA and the volunteers for putting on a fantastic event, the spectators and competitors for coming out, his coach, training partners and family for their support.

Twenty-two (22) year old athlete Aleisha Wesley (North Coast) was not far behind the male competitors, dominating the female field to finish in an excellent time of 1:01:57. Wesley was crowned the Open Female champion taking her winning streak to an astonishing five state titles in a row. Team XTR athlete Indie Arbuckle finished second and seasoned triathlete, Kate Bevilaqua (Fremantle) crossed the line in third place.

On the podium, Wesley commented that she’d been getting into top form and preparing to race in Europe in a few weeks’ time. When asked what she attributed her success to, Wesley said “a different mindset. I’ve been working hard during the off-season and the hard work has been paying off. I’ve moved running groups which has definitely improved something that has been a weakness in the past.” Wesley thanked North Coast Tri Club and Eclipse Performance Centre for their support, the volunteers, event sponsors and all competitors.

Being a State Series event, Triathlete of the Year (TOTY) points were up for grabs in all age group categories. Tinley’s win in Rockingham puts him on top of the TOTY Open Male leader board and Wesley retains first place on the TOTY Open Female leader board after round 5. James Kjellgren-Lewis (Fremantle) also continued his winning streak and holds onto male TOTY leader in the 16-19 age category. The promising young athlete had an outstanding performance in Rockingham, finishing third overall in the Sprint distance race. Emily White (Exceed) added to her TOTY lead in the 16-19 female category after crossing the line first in her age group.  

In general, the Rockingham Foreshore Triathlon was a fantastic day of racing, and everyone involved left feeling elated and ready to take on the next challenge.

Triathlon WA would like to thank the amazing sponsors; City of Rockingham, Keep on Running, Beach Rock IGA, Tourism Rockingham, Quest Rockingham, Coast FM for their support and contribution to the event. All expo stall holders; Total Recovery WA, Keep on Running, Outside the Locker Room, PA Sports and Leisure and TransitionWear. TWA would like to extend an extra special thank you to all of the volunteers, staff, clubs (especially Rockingham Triathlon Club) and athletes who made this event possible. We appreciate your support and couldn’t have done it without you!

Next up on the State Series calendar is the Joondalup Autumn Classic on Sunday, 7 March at Mullaloo Beach.

Nearly 600 of WA’s best triathletes took on the challenge at the City of Joondalup Coastal Quest last Sunday for the Triathlon WA State Sprint Championships.

A shark threat at Whitford Nodes forced athletes to pivot into Duathlon mode, but all competitors adapted quickly with strong performances from start to finish.

Reigning Ironman Matt Burton (Oceanic) snagged the State Championships and the Brynt McSwain Trophy for fastest male athlete on course, finishing the race in a blistering 0:54:23.53. Young gun athletes Kurt Wesley (North Coast) and Zeke Tinley (Bunbury) put up an impressive fight, finishing just seconds behind Burton to claim second and third place respectively. Athletes Reece Harris (Mandurah), Sam Mileham (Fremantle), Guy Crawford (Fremantle), James Martin (Bunbury), Tommaso Puccini (UWA) and Tokyo Paralympian David Bryant (Stadium) rounded out the male Elite field, making for a fantastic race.

Competition was red-hot in the Elite women’s field, with several of Perth’s best athletes vying for top spot. Aleisha Wesley (North Coast) took out first place in a time of 01:04:27.89, earning her a hat-trick hot streak of State Championship wins. Rhianna Hepburn (UWA) was hot on Wesley’s heels, finishing just seconds behind. Indie Arbuckle (Team XTR) crossed the line in third place, only seconds behind Hepburn. The top 3 ladies were really given a run for their money, with the Elite women’s field including the likes of experienced triathletes Kate Bevilaqua (Fremantle), Katherine Ryan (Stadium), Madison Toovey (North Coast) and hotshot team-mates Indie Arbuckle (Team XTR) and Jessica Claxton (Team XTR).

We saw strong performances from age group athletes including Loic Draoulec (Stadium), Drew Mitchell (Mandurah), Ronan Hays (Mandurah), Craig Lllewellyn (North Coast), James Knipe (Team XTR), Jason Rhine (Exceed), Rebecca Preston (Exceed), Emma Moon (Phoenix), Melanie Wade (Stadium), Janne Leibmann (Fremantle), Clodagh Glynn (Stadium) and Phoebe Freeman (Fremantle).

Junior athletes gave it their all at the State Sprint Championships, proving they can more than keep up with the Seniors.

In the 11-13 category, up and coming athletes Ava Henville (Exceed), Rebecca Puccini (UWA) and Isabella Neervort (Fremantle) took out top honours for the girls. Max Buiks (City Tri Club) claimed second for the boys race, putting himself on the Junior TOTY leaderboard.

Jacob Palmer (Break Your Limits) claimed top spot in the 14-15 male category, followed by Josh Pedlow (Exceed) in second.

The 16-19 categories were hotly contested, with reigning male junior age-group TOTY winner James Kjellgren-Lewis (Fremantle), current TOTY leader Emily White (Exceed) and Abbie Crew (North Coast) putting on an impressive show.

The next State Series event on the Triathlon Western Australia calendar is the Oceanic Standard Distance on 16 January 2022 at Hillarys.

The Triathlon WA community is on a high after the GWM Ironman in Busselton last weekend. It was a particularly big week for WA athlete Matt Burton (Oceanic) whose first child was due on race day! Luckily, bub arrived a few days early so Matt was able to race down to Busso and claim the Ironman title.

There is no rest for the wicked with the third Triathlon WA State Championships event taking place this Sunday, 12 December at Whitfords Nodes in Hillarys.

The City of Joondalup Coastal Quest is an event not to be missed as it returns to the iconic Whitfords location after road works forced a move in 2020. Over 500 athletes will take to the start line on the stunning Northern Beaches of Perth. Triathletes will be treated to pristine conditions following a scorching hot week in Perth.

The competition will be just as fiery with several athletes vying for Triathlete of the Year (TOTY) points at the State Sprint Championships. Equal first on the male leader board, Zeke Tinley (Bunbury) and reigning Ironman Matt Burton (Oceanic) will be eager to separate their standings and claim the top spot after round three. Guy Crawford (Fremantle), Jonney Sammut (UWA) and Kurt Wesley (North Coast) will bring the fire in the Open Male category, putting Zeke and Matt to the test. David Bryant (Oceanic) returns to the State Series scene after a successful Paralympics campaign in Tokyo earlier this year.

After a third-place finish at Ironman last weekend, Kate Bevilaqua (Fremantle) will be lining up against Katherine Ryan (Stadium) and young guns Aleisha Wesley (North Coast), Indie Arbuckle (Team XTR) and Madison Toovey (North Coast). Ryan stepped up to the Open Female category this season and has already established herself as a strong contender for the TOTY crown, finishing third in the State Duathlon. After winning the first two State Championship events, Wesley will be hoping to increase her early lead with another win this weekend.

The Brynt McSwain trophy will also be up for grabs this Sunday as it is once again awarded to the fastest male triathlete at the Triathlon WA State Sprint Championships. Brynt McSwain was a Triathlon WA member and previous State Champion across several distances in the sport. Brynt was one of a kind that contributed hugely to the triathlon community.

He tragically lost his life in October 2014 when he was knocked from his bike commuting home from work. Brynt’s life and legacy is celebrated on an annual basis through this trophy that his named in his honour.

Jonney Sammut (UWA) will be seeking to pull off a hat-trick and hold on to the title after winning the Brynt McSwain trophy for the last two years.

Whilst the City of Joondalup Coastal Quest is a Triathlon Australia Age Group WT World Championship Qualifying race, there is something for everyone, with a selection of short races including Sprint, Bolt, Duathlon, AquaBike and TinLins.

The City of Joondalup Coastal Quest will kick off at 7:00am on Sunday, 12 December 2021.

In the New Year, TWA will be leaving our office base at Beatty Park and relocating into the newly created Sports HQ, in Floreat. We are excited by the move to a centralized location where a number of State Sporting Associations and Peak Bodies will be housed under one roof. 

The TWA office will formally close 5pm Tuesday, 21 December for the Christmas break. We anticipate our move into Sports HQ will be within the first few weeks of January 2022, and as such TWA staff will work remotely after the break. Staff will be contactable via email and phone during office hours recommencing on Tuesday, 4 January 2022.

Triathlon WA is over the moon to announce that Star Physio has come on board as a partner for another year.

Star Physio’s physiotherapists, exercise physiologists and rehabilitation gurus are well trained in their respesctive fields to help patients recover from injuries and gain optimum health.

In addition to physiotherapy, massage, pilates and rehabilitation, Star Physio offers “Bikefit”. This involves professionally fitting a bicycle to its rider using the assessment and intervention skills of a physiotherapist with specific expertise in cycling and its biomechanics.

Star Physio has three convenient clinic locations – Hay Street Mall in Perth CBD, Mosman Park and West Perth.

Star Physio will be delivering expert physio and injury management content for TWA members, a coaches conference and a club-based support program. More information is coming soon so watch this space!

Triathlon WA is delighted to be partnering with Keep On Running in 2021/2022.

Keep On Running is a specialist running store that stocks a variety of running, racing and track shoes. A range of running clothing and accessories such as Garmins and nutritional products are also available for men, women and kids.

Keep on Running is owned and operated by an Australian Running Champion who has 25 years of experience selling specialty shoes.

Located in Floreat and Applecross, race into one of the Keep On Running stores to find the right fit.

If you are a current TWA member, keep an eye on your inbox for a discount code coming soon.

Triathlon WA is pleased to announce a new partnership with Caterpy and Lasso for 2021/2022.

Caterpy Australia produces the ultimate no-tie shoelaces perfect for athletes and kids. The laces provide the right amount of tension through the shoe, adapt to different foot shapes and remove the hassle of tying.

Lasso produces support and compression apparel that improves circulation and stabilises joints for better movement. With built in ankle, foot and arch support, these socks are perfect for training and performance.

As part of the partnership agreement, Christmas has come early for TWA members who can expect to receive an email with a discount code for any purchases made through Caterpy and Lasso.

Triathlon WA (TWA) is pleased to announce the appointment of two new Directors to its Board following the October Board Meeting.

Lauren McGregor brings 15+ years’ experience in finance and private equity to take on the role as Treasurer. She has recently completed her MBA, and previously held the role as a Finance Director for a Not-for-Profit Charity. Lauren has been involved in the sport of triathlon since 2007, from a novice competitor she progressed through the sport to be a three-time Kona finisher and overall age-group champion at Ironman WA.

Henrietta Farrell brings over 16 years’ experience at major international events (Commonwealth Games, Olympics) in a senior marketing lead. More recently, she has gained experience with the State Government, managing stakeholder management and communications with the construction of Perth Stadium. She currently is working within an Executive role for the State Government and has recently completed an AICD course. Henrietta has been involved in the sport as a participant and volunteer since 2014.

In addition to the newly appointed members, Brenden Koh was appointed to the Vice-President Role to support along side Steve Lyon.

On behalf of Steve Lyon, President of Triathlon WA we welcome our newly appointed Board members and look forward to working together to continue to grow the sport in WA.