http://www.humansoftriathlon.com/

Humans of Triathlon, Indian Wells, CA (2026)

12/18/2019

"Swimming was my first love. It was in the pool that I—a nerdy middle schooler—felt strong, where I could see hours of work turn into muscles. I swam through college but competed in off-season Triathlon to stay fit. I switched to cycling in 2005 when I started grad school. Despite being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2006, I raced seriously until 2010.

I pretended that the disease—an autoimmune condition that attacks the digestive system—didn’t exist and pushed myself hard. By 2010, I was so sick that no treatments helped. Out of options, I agreed to have my large intestine removed in 3 surgeries that would remove the entire organ and reconfigure the small intestine. They were vicious, painful surgeries that required an ostomy, but, by 2013, I was well enough to consider competing again.

I tried my first criterium that summer, but I finished the race in tears. My body—always so strong, capable, tough—felt unbelievably fragile, and I was terrified of crashing. When I took my kit off that day, I knew I’d never be back. BUT, I tried a small local Triathlon later that fall. I didn’t feel fear – just relief at being a real athlete again. Since then, I’ve had progressively more competitive Triathlon seasons and raced in the USA Age Group National Championships last year. I have a long-term goal of representing Team USA at Worlds someday (hopefully soon!).

Being an athlete with a disability is not easy, especially when that disability is invisible. I struggle with dehydration, vitamin/mineral deficiencies, and intestinal blockages. Some days, my body is my best friend, and I inhabit it with joy and gratitude. Other days, it’s my mortal enemy attempting to kill me from within. But I want others with similar disabilities – who maybe can’t yet envision an end to the suffering – to see that we can live ‘normal-ish’ lives, that we can dream of accomplishing big things and then actually DO those big things. I TRI because it reminds me of how strong and resilient my body is and to celebrate that gift." ~ Sara Zeigler []

12/17/2019

"It’s been about 5 years since I did my first Triathlon. There were posters around my village, here in the UK, advertising a super sprint event based out of the local school. A neighbour and I signed up, and the rest is history as they say. It was a very mixed field, but I finished in the top 10 overall and thought, you know what, maybe I could be good at this. And most importantly, I beat my neighbour!

That was the start of the journey, and it was a relatively late start. I was in my early 30’s but had come from a cycling background and had done cross country running at school which set me up nicely. The swim remains my weakest sport by far, but I enjoy it all the same, and it’s all a distant memory by the time I reach the finish line.

I started entering bigger & longer events, but the early years lacked structure, and I soon found that my performance was good, but not getting much better. In October last year I signed up to do the Outlaw 2019 Iron distance race, and my training stepped up A LOT. Unfortunately that race didn’t go to plan as the bike leg was cancelled due to flooded roads, but all the hard work over the winter paid off. I won my first ever running race in January, it was a hilly 5K trail run and I couldn’t believe it. I then went on to set PBs for 10K & ½ marathon in the spring.

That winning 5K was organised by the great people at and I’ve been volunteering for them for a couple of years now as a way to give back and also experience the sports I love from the other side of the fence. I would encourage anyone to do it, its great fun cheering people on!

Next for me is just to keep tri-ing, and keep improving. Complete that long course event, and one day I hope to qualify to be a team GB age grouper, but it may be in the Duathlon if my swimming doesn’t get any better! 🙄 -

Thanks for reading my story, and please feel free to follow to see how it continues." 🏊‍♂️🚴‍♂️🏃‍♂️ ~ Matthew Featherstone []
Thank you for sharing your story with us, Matt! Keep Tri'ing! 🏊🚴🏃
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12/16/2019

How's that for a medal collection👌-

12/15/2019

Good looking kit you've got there, !👌😉 -

Congrats on your race! 🙌👏

12/13/2019

"Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you are incapable of following your dreams.

I have been an age-group triathlete for almost 6 years now after a disappointing career as a collegiate springboard diver. I struggled immensely with self-confidence throughout college until I found the sport of Triathlon which ‘saved me’. I love how I can make as little or as much out of this sport as I want. I love how the only pressure to perform comes from within myself and not from any outsiders watching. I love how direct the correlation is between hard work and improvements on the racecourse. I can’t say the journey has been easy, as I battled a stress fracture of my femur, pelvis, and two stress fractures of my feet soon after committing myself to Triathlons. Doctors told me that I was too fragile; they said that my genes gave me bones too weak to support the stress of training. I am not weak. I am not fragile. I decided to pour my heart into the sport and focus on strength, conditioning, and recovery in order to keep my body strong and healthy. I have since been injury-free and am working my way up the ranks of the age-group field, recently placing 4th overall female at Ironman 70.3 North Carolina.

Unfortunately, those dream-crushers never go away. I am now in medical school at Duke University and am told constantly that I cannot continue medicine and Triathlons – you must pick one. Well, I have refused to pick one, and I will continue to refuse. My true love for both a career as a gyn oncologist and my love for racing will continue to drive me to work hard to succeed in both. Sometimes it means 3 am runs or long bike trainer sessions while reading medical research, but the journey is easy when I love what I do. For all you triathletes out there who have encountered people who tell you that you are not good enough, not strong enough, or can’t do it all - - I’m here to tell you that you CAN. Steer far away from those who belittle you. Next up for me is 70.3 Worlds 2020. I’m getting stronger and faster every day so watch out! Follow me as I move through medical school and beyond.

Dreams only work if you do, so go get ‘em!" ~ Karen Monuszko []

12/12/2019

"I have always been on the bigger side, & it was when I worked abroad that I hit my highest mark. My food intake was just about anything & everything. I ate 5x to 6x a day just to comfort myself from stress at work, & from people who saw me as a failure. I was out of control.

This went on until I went to the hospital for a health check. The result broke me. The doctor diagnosed me as Obese 2, & on the verge of becoming a diabetic with a heart condition. Hearing this, I lost my soul. I was torn apart. I realized that I was so focused on fulfilling the dreams of other people that I forgot to love & look after myself. It hit me so hard that I didn't know what to do to stand again.

So I took the courage to change despite knowing that it was going to be tough as hell. I started eating a low carb diet, I observed intermittent fasting, & running became my main exercise. I was drooling every night, with tired legs, tired lungs. Every part of my body hurt, & I was losing the will to live. There were times that I questioned myself, "This does not mean anything. I want to give up!" But I realized that giving up in one's darkest time will not reveal that person's strong character, & even more the greatest moments in his or her life.

I resigned from my previous job & found a new opportunity to work in another country. I started participating in short runs & half marathon events until it became a habit.

A group called found me & received me with open arms to train me for a Triathlon. I was so scared at first because the time & energy the training demanded was absurd. But having amazing people beside me, pushing my limits & getting me out of my comfort zone kept me going. It was a painful process. But enduring the pain kept me alive, & at the end of the day, it gave me my purpose in life...

Now I'm a finisher of multiple Triathlons. I may not know where I am going with all of this, but what I do know is that it is not a journey of losing weight anymore. It is a journey of living a life worth remembering & bringing out the best version of myself.

I am now on my quest to IM 70.3 in 2020. Here I come!" ~ Adrian Tobias []

12/11/2019

It's that time of the year! 😅😆 -

Credit: .of.nyc

12/10/2019

"I love Triathlon!

I started around one and a half years ago with the sport. I could not swim or cycle before and running was also new for me. I've always thought of myself as a woman with lots of power and strength though. I had to become humble and gradually learn the 3 disciplines. And my Triathlon journey began. Since then I've done about 20 races – and I love it, to say the least.

My greatest experience so far has been racing at the ITU World Championship in Lausanne. I live in Switzerland and this was a great chance for me. Seeing athletes from around the world come together and the spectators cheering you on from the sidelines – it was one of those goosebump moments.

This sport also gives me a chance to connect with another passion of mine. I love to take pictures. My goal is to bring people closer to the excitement of this sport. With my pictures, I want to bring the positive charisma, the motivation, the enthusiasm, the enjoyment of life, just the whole power of this sport to the people. I want to inspire people that they also start doing something for themselves and their health.

Triathlon means a lot to me. I love the training and for a year now, I've had a coach who gives me training plans. And I am making great progress. The races are always extremely exciting. The atmosphere is thrilling, and I get to meet a lot of new, great people. This sport has helped me overcome difficult times in my life and become more resilient and stronger. It requires mental and physical efforts, and I'm so grateful for that. For now, I am enjoying the journey and have my sights on racing in Hawaii in the future.

Lovely greetings to all you cool, amazing Humans of Triathlon out there." ~ Monique Biessels []
Thank you for sharing your story, Monique! Keep Tri'ing! 🏊🚴🏃
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12/09/2019

"It all started when my father was my age (27) & caught the TRI bug. He went on to become a podiatrist for the US Ironman team, traveling all over the world from Nice to Kona. Growing up, there was a quilt on the couch, made up of 50 TRI t-shirts stitched together. I snuggled with it every night but had no idea what any of it meant. I would hear all these different stories, but I truly didn't get it. I wasn't athletic, nor did I really care.

3 years ago, I began teaching indoor cycling at with no prior endurance training. After a year or so, I tested my talents out on the treadmill. Turned out, I wasn't half bad at running. My good friend was a 2x Ironman at the time & convinced me to try my first Sprint TRI in August 2017. I thought I was going to die in the first 5 minutes of the swim, as I’d never swam in open water & was NOT a swimmer. I got over the “first-timer-freakout” & completed the race surprisingly fast. Seeing my dad’s tears of joy at the finish line made it all worth it. I caught the bug. Triathlon gave me something to train for, something to look forward to, & an infectious community of likeminded (crazy) individuals.

A year later, I crushed my first half marathon & placed in AG in my 2nd Sprint. Unfortunately, a broken rib kept me from competing in the NYC Oly TRI, but I recovered, trained, & crushed the Westchester Oly TRI a few months later. Fast forward a year where I decided to get a bit more serious about the sport & hire , Snapple team Pro Triathlete, to coach me for Ironman 70.3. In the process, I achieved 3rd overall in a local Sprint & AG podium in the Atlantic City Olympic-distance.

Finally came the first 70.3. I faced quite a bit of adversity on the bike, from eating s**t to two flats, but I went into the run with a clean slate & crossed that finish line with an indescribable feeling. Absolutely spent & in a ton of pain, I immediately burst into tears & still am as I write this. So much time, energy, & sweat went into that moment, & I couldn’t contain myself. I forgot about the setbacks & simply enjoyed the journey. That’s why I love this sport." ~ Kyle Axman []

11/27/2019

"I live by the quote 'LevFörFan' (LiveGodDammit) You don’t know how many years, months, days or breaths you have in this life so make the most of them. I learned how to swim after giving birth to my 2nd child, & in those swim lessons, there were a lot of triathletes, so I thought why not. I do like to bike (but running sucks). I did my first Sprint along with my sister (), & we LOVED IT, so we went home & signed up for an Ironman.

Now I've done 19 Ironman distance races (my sister has got 2 children so she has ”just” done 8). I love the sport. I love to swim in open waters. Cycling is now my favorite thing to do. Love, love, love it! And the running – it turned out that I loved it, as long as I can run at my own pace & in the forest.

Every year since we started, we race & then we choose a country we would love to see. So we went to France to eat croissants & race . We went to Norway, ate fish, raced & . We went to the Amazon & then raced . We had to race to get to eat some Wienerschnitzel. Beer & sausages in Denmark & . Tapas before & after IM Barcelona. & of course, we had a sauna & ate moose meat before & after .

I would say IM Sweden is the best if you like a flat course with the BEST audience. If you love cycling in the mountains I recommend NXTRI or IM France. If you like to have some time to yourself is the race for you: a full-distance under the midnight sun. You see more reindeers than people on the course! The best swim was in IM Brasil (love that sunrise). Best bike is IM Kalmar, & the best run is in Lappland where you get to go up to the mountain Dundret before you cross the finish line.

For me, Triathlon is so much more than just 3 sports combined into one. It's about the people I meet. It's about being a person who is always fit enough to do an IM. It's about realizing & making others realize the same. I turned from a person who hated running to become a personal trainer specializing in endurance sports. It's about ." ~ Sofie Lantto []

11/26/2019

"My name is Ryan, & I am from Gloucestershire, UK. In February 2017, I sustained a concussion injury playing rugby which took me out of playing or partaking in any type of sport or fitness. As I was only 18 years old & played multiple hours of sport a day this was a huge part of my life gone. I have had multiple MRI & CT scans & also countless amounts of physio/chiropractic treatments which have helped me tremendously. I couldn't thank my Physio & Chiropractor enough ( / .chiropractic). I spent almost a year & a half not working, studying or training. In fact I was bed bound for about a year. Every time I felt better I got knocked back. Still to this day I have not fully recovered from my concussions. I still have headaches every day & every so often I have a knockback which can put me out of work & training for weeks at a time.

In October 2018 I decided to start trying to get fit again. I started running, cycling & swimming again. I had completed a couple of Triathlons when I was younger but only for fun. I decided to enter Ironman Wales 2019. This was the start of my Triathlon Journey. During this year I have had multiple top 6 AG finishes & even a couple top 3 in my AG.

Triathlon has made a huge difference to me as it gives me a purpose to try & put my headaches behind me & push forward. It makes you realise that anything is possible & it really challenges your limits. What I also love about Triathlon is the amount of support people give you & the way that everyone is one big family. I am supported by many people, & I will always be so thankful for that.

I have qualified to compete in the European Standard Distance Triathlon Championships Estonia 2020 - which will be my main race of the year. I hope to place as high as I can & have many goals in seeing how far I can go. In Ironman Wales 2019, I came 6th in my AG. So one of my long term goals is to get on the podium for my age group & qualify for Kona & be the best version of me I can be." ~ Ryan Coombs []

11/25/2019

"14 minutes a mile is a walk, not a run,” said a friend when I ran for the very first time. "I don't know how to run," I thought to myself.

Born and raised in India, the closest I have come to sports is watching my parents do yoga or watching cricket on TV. In 2015, I was transitioning from being a stay-at-home-mom for 7 years toa teacher. The only thing I knew how to do well was to change diapers, cook, set up playdates. I hadzero confidence to do anything beyond the house and taking care of my children. I was about 175lbs (80kg) with both my pregnancies and it took a lot to lose weight and to gain back my self-esteem. WhileI was at the gym, I heard the instructor say, "If you want to see how strong you are, sign up for arace." I had no idea about what Triathlon means."I am physically strong, having lost the weight twice." I thought to myself. What I needed was mentalstrength. I knew I could swim then, but running and biking were very new to me. In Sept 2015, Isigned up for my first Triathlon. I trained myself by watching YouTube videos. Reaching the finish line made methink, "This mom can do more than just changing diapers!" Fast forward to 2019, I was hit by the depression, doing things that were deteriorating myemotional health. I decided to do my first half Ironman. I have never trained so hard, that too inisolation and with such consistent effort. My mom turned 65 on race day and seeing me happywas the best gift for her. Her first question to me at the finish line was "What will you do now? Youshould train for another one." She knew that I had found my way to happiness and depression willnever get me down again!

I am addicted to finding new challenges to conquer now. I don’t race because I am goingthrough a mid-life crisis or trying to beat someone else :) It is a lifestylethat helps me constantly transform emotionally and mentally. It brings me joy and keeps me fromwasting my life in negative emotions like anger, jealousy, and insecurities. With each race, Triathlonhelps me grow my full potential as a triathlete, teacher, mother, and human being! ~ Nupur Sethi []

Humans of Triathlon

12/18/2019

12/17/2019

12/16/2019

12/15/2019

12/13/2019

12/12/2019

12/11/2019

12/10/2019

12/09/2019

11/27/2019

11/26/2019

11/25/2019

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