As athletes, we are constantly looking for an extra edge when it comes to training, racing, winning and simply improving ourselves to become fitter, faster, stronger and healthier! However, how much is too much of a good thing when a healthy obsession turns into self-destruction from a nutrition perspective?
Jacinta Roberts is new to the sports of triathlon and cycling. After leading a relatively inactive lifestyle whilst growing up, Jacinta made the shift to sport when the pandemic arrived. She decided to buy a bike and capitalised on every opportunity to get out of the house and go for a ride. As with most endurance sport enthusiasts, she soon became addicted!
Kimberley Smith is certainly not your average age group athlete, or average athlete by any means. After losing her sister to cancer several years ago, she began the sport as a way of dealing with her grief and she found it transformed her life. She is as humble as ever, but brave too, doing her first triathlon on a friend’s bike with only one swim, one bike and a couple of runs under her belt! An impressive feat to say the least.
I recently took the time to chat with Marley-Jo (MJ), who is a female police offer, triathlete and mother of two children, one of whom has severe learning difficulties and epilepsy. MJ works long hours in Highway Patrol and often survives off two to three hours’ sleep, as her son, Denver, struggles to sleep. Yet she still makes time to train and values it all the more as a result of her circumstances. Sport is a luxury, which many in other countries cannot afford. Marley-Jo certainly does not waste a moment and understands the importance of health, fitness and nutrition in not only performance, but also productivity and maintaining quality of life.
We all think our bodies are invincible, but there’s always a chance we could break. Trainers and athletes especially need to stay cautious of what they’re doing in order to be successful; every session counts! We just want to make the most out of it so we can feel satisfied with ourselves at the end of the day – no matter how hard we pushed. However, it’s tricky to know when you’re pushing yourself too hard without taking care of yourself properly- so here’s some tips on how to tell whether you’re going too far one way or another (and when you should back off)!
Jackson Byrne is 17 years old, in his final year of school and working as a lifeguard, competing for an AFL club and racing at state level for Enduro mountain biking! All of this combined with his somewhat surreal passion for freediving and spear fishing keeps Jackon’s feet firmly on the ground and helps him stay calm. There is never dull moment in Jackson’s life and he has learnt so much about looking after himself and life generally through sport.
Alex is an Ironman triathlete and nurse from Western Australia. She lived and breathed triathlon for several years whilst training and racing for Ironman. Her reason for racing was not to be the best in the field, but to conquer the demons in her head. Her thoughts told her she couldn’t on countless occasions, yet she told herself, she could. Alex then went on to finish two of the most gruelling Ironman races in Australia!
Not eating meat has become popular over the past 10 years and certainly a point of interest and consideration for many athletes. However, as a female athlete, is it possible to adopt a plant-based diet safely, whilst maintaining a high intensity and volume of training? Can this be done without risking injury or fatigue?
Brooke Bishop is a tetrathlete, modern pentathlete and triathlete, based in in Western Australia. When you combine all three of these sports, you have: swimming – short and middle distance, running – middle distance and long distance, fencing, shooting, cycling and show jumping! Brooke has competed for Australia nationally and internationally in tetrathlon and modern pentathlon and recently took up triathlon after her plans to pursue pentathlon professionally were put to an abrupt hold by the pandemic.
Sam Harris is new to the sport of triathlon and already securing his spot at the top in all of the races he has touched down on the start line of. Determined as ever, and despite several injury setbacks, Sam plans on qualifying for the Sprint Distance Age Group World Championships to represent Australia.
