Triathlon2Win

2011 is nearly over and it’s at this time of the year where we can reflect on great sporting achievements. Ok, so the All Blacks winning the World Cup after 24 years was quite an achievement, but that is a team sport and this is a triathlon website, so who deserves special praise? There is only really one standout performer and her name is Chrissie Wellington.

Chrissie burst onto the professional triathlon scene in 2007 with an emphatic Ironman World Championship Kona win in Hawaii.

Four years later (apart from 2010 where she was unable to race due to personal illness) she has owned that race completely and practically every other one she competes in. She remains undefeated in Ironman races having a record 12 from 12 first places. I remember reading an article about Chrissie just before this years World Championship race. It was stating that it wasn’t a question of if she would win Kona, 2011 but by how much and this proved to be very much the case.

How does one perform at the highest level over and over again with such consistency? Chrissie would be the first to admit that the physical and fitness side is just one part of her success. The other key part is her mental strength. It was interesting to read about her early training days. Before she turned professional she worked in Kathmandu, Nepal and used to cycle regularly in the high altitude mountains for fun. Now that would certainly give you a good base for mental strength.

Any long distance endurance athlete will always mention the mental barrier that you have to push your body through and Chrissie seems to be well versed in this area. There is no doubt she pushes her physical body to the limits and the flip side for this to work is that when she is not racing she is also very capable to switch off and relax, rest and meditate.

Chrissie received the prestigious BBC Outstanding Achievement this month and I must say very well deserved, as her personality (yes – this is a dig at the BBC SPOTY awards) really shines through. Congratulations to Chrissie for all the great work she has done while performing in races, but also in her off-race time where she has done so much to raise the profile of world triathlon.

I admire her extraordinary determination, motivation, and smile during and after every race. Keep up the fantastic work Chrissie and all the best for 2012!