10 May 2025
And I thought to myself “F*ck this, I can’t do it”.
This thought crossed my mind when the first wave pushed me back as I entered the water. And then another wave, and then another. My body stiffened. The water was murky and as I lifted my
head, I couldn’t see the buoy. Did I mention it was raining?
Yeah, ok, not a super inspiring start.
Let’s back up. Eight weeks prior, a group of us showed up at the QUT swimming pool. Despite not being the largest bunch, we had different experiences in the triathlon world. Some of us had done a
sprint or two and then life had happened, as it usually does; some of us were there to train for their first triathlon ever. But we all wanted the same thing: to challenge ourselves, to be and do better,
even if that meant something slightly different to each of us.
Simon and Nic were awesome. They guided us through tons of info – triathlon can be a lot to take in! For many people just starting with this (multi)sport, going through all this new stuff alone can be
simply daunting to digest, on top of having to adapt to a new routine. They were so empathetic when we occasionally missed a session because we slept in, especially during those first few weeks
of adapting to getting up at 4:30am; or when, ahem …, I forgot my helmet for a bike session, or my swimming suit for a swimming session … and rumour has it that someone may have forgotten their
running shoes for a brick session.
Yup, these 8 weeks were not only about following the workout training plan, which was spot-on, to prepare our bodies for a race. These 8 weeks were also about learning to listen to our bodies, to take care of ourselves, and to develop a sense of organisation, such that training can be integrated into our busy lives in a sustainable way. April was super wet, and we had to juggle things around, public holidays too. But the coaches kept
us on track with catch-up sessions and indoor workouts. The latter was very helpful for some fellow beginners who were travelling (and kept training during holidays!).
D-day was May 11th at Moreton Bay. This race was the last round of the Queensland Tri Series for the season 24/25. It had been raining most of Saturday. In the early hours of Sunday it had stopped
long enough for those who were doing the Club distance, including our coach Nic who raced with us, to set up our transition areas. I didn’t take a picture of my area but I think Simon would have
approved of how well organised it was. The beginners doing the Enticer were coming a bit later to race and cheer us at the finish line.
We didn’t have to wait that long and then we were off to start our race. It was a shallow water start. Just to give context, I’m considered a strong swimmer, but I’m more of an aquarium fish than a great
white. Open water swims are a different beast. There are more uncontrollable elements. As the different waves of athletes jumped into the ocean, it started to rain. Swimmers were getting
scattered because there was a strong side current.
Luckily, as part of our training we had a seminar about maximising performance that included really great knowledge on building resilience and handling that inner critic we all have. So let’s go back to the start of that swim. As that bleak thought popped into my head, all the training of the last 8 weeks pushed it right out of my brain. First, my mind jumped to one of my beginner mates who had gone in an early wave. She said swimming wasn’t her strength, and if I was feeling like this, I wondered whether she was doing fine, and whether everyone else was doing fine in these rough conditions. Next thought: Why did my brain want to give up so quickly? Did I really believe that I couldn’t finish? No. Did I genuinely think I was in danger? No. Is this the first time I was swimming in the ocean? No. Was it because I had felt so prepared just a few moments earlier and now I was feeling disappointed with myself? Maybe. Could I ask for help if I needed it? Yes … While this debate was taking on a life of its own in my brain, my body had relaxed, and a different more collected voice asked “Have you noticed that you’re swimming in the freaking Pacific ocean? How cool is that?”. And then I saw the buoy … and I wasn’t lost any more.
Reaching that buoy already felt like a win. So I kept going until reaching the next buoy, and then the next one. And then it was done! I finished that swim with the biggest of smiles, as did my fellow beginners. We were happy
that it was over. I was even happier with the knowledge that all the training sessions had provided us with the tools to get us through tough conditions. Some friendly faces were cheering us on our way from the swim finish to transition, which by now it was a muddy mess.
Dry feet were off the menu, but clean feet were still an option. When I got there, coach Nic had already left because she’s super fast. I believe she literally flies during transitions. The bike ride was a lap course over the Ted Smout Memorial Bridge. After passing the esplanade, we got onto the bridge, slightly uphill, our legs could feel the headwind. The beautiful thing about headwind is that it could only mean one thing: a sweet tailwind on the way back and flying down the bridge at over 40km/h! And then repeat two more times. I have to highlight that everyone was super cautious and respectful especially close to the turning points. It was nice to race in such an
environment, which meant that despite the heavy rain and slippery road, it still felt safe.
Finally, the run: with shoes drenched in water and mud up to my ankles, this felt like a transition from riding a mountain bike to off road running, which wasn’t too bad a thing as regulating the running pace right after coming off the bike can be a bit of a challenge. The sun had decided to make an appearance for the run, which was nice because we could actually see and wave at each other.
I crossed the line feeling calm and seeing the familiar and somewhat relieved face of my partner who was waiting in the rain, his lips a slight shade of blue. Note to self for future races: prepare a race backpack for the support crew too. Then the lovely faces of other team members popped into focus. They had finished the Enticer race and were cheering us at the finish line. I joined them. It was a tremendous satisfaction to see everyone crossing that line and then we immediately started exchanging our experiences of each leg — I think the shared experience of that swim will bond us forever! We all made really solid efforts, and adjustments wherever needed to finish the race. We had good times overall, and one podium finish! And at that point we all agreed that if we were able to finish in these conditions, we could do anything! Not only we shared a strong sense of
accomplishment, but also gratitude for the coaches and club support.
We are super grateful to Nicole and Simon, who answered the many many questions we had throughout the course, and guided us from triathlon 101, to the more advanced stuff like a flying mount … Let’s just say that we’ll try that technique next time.
Thank you to Anthony and Duncan for keeping us going when Nic or Simon couldn’t make it; a special shout out to John for jumping in to coach us during our last swimming session when Anthony was away and Nic was sick, and for patiently demonstrating swimming techniques. Thank you to everyone in the club who welcomed us, encouraged us and celebrated our achievements.
As a new member of the club, I look forward to spending more time learning from and sharing this passion with the other members, and, in time, crossing new finish lines.
by Paula Sanz
