Welcome Emma, how did you hear about Bayside Triathlon Club?
Back in 2021 the 2XU Tri registration process motivated me to join a club. I chose Bayside Triathlon Club (BTC) as it was my local club – I found it through web research. I would also see Mercury swimming caps at Johnny Van Wisse’s swimming squad, learning later that Mercury is the coaching partner for BTC.
Ah yes, lots of us have swum with Johnny over the years (because he gives out free lollies!) What do you like about BTC?
It’s local and flexible to join the different training sessions. It has a friendly community with all types of levels creating a great place to be inspired, learn, share and support each other.
Nice. I notice an accent – how long have you been living in Australia?
I got married in 1996 and moved to Australia to our first tiny home in Bayside. With a swimming background, I was amazed of the active lifestyle of the area and all the different sports that Bayside offered. We used to windsurf at Ricketts Points, then I did my bronze certificate and joined Half Moon Bay Life Saving Club while I worked as a swimming coach at the King Club. Coming from a big city, a corporate life and spending hours of traffic in a mega metropolis (in Mexico), I automatically fell in love with the Bayside lifestyle.
A couple of years later, my first beautiful gift from heaven arrived; I became the mum of a happy and active son Daniel, then two years later my second gift arrived with a spirited and determined daughter, Fernanda.
And so when did you get into triathlon?
Just in case life wasn’t busy enough a friend invited me to do a triathlon, and when Fernanda was only 2 months old, in 2000 I did my first solo Gatorade sprint tri in Brighton. I absolutely loved it!
Good going! When my daughter was 2 months old I could barely walk around the block, let alone do a triathlon. Why the gap between your first tri in 2000 and joining BTC in 2021?
We moved to Miami for three years where I was able to do a couple of local sprint triathlons. Then when we moved back to Australia in 2004 priorities changed and life got in the way.
15 years later, now the kids were adults I have more time and energy for myself. I got the itchy feet of doing another triathlon and in 2019, I did Saint Kilda 2XU sprint and got hooked into the sport. Since then, every year I have done a few sprints and Olympic Triathlons from the 2XU Series.
Wonderful – we’re glad you’re back to the sport. What sporting achievement are you most proud of?
I like to challenge my training with an Ironman 70.30 per year. So far I’ve made Cairns, Melbourne, Sunshine Coast and Geelong. I am really proud of getting back into the sport and to be committed to a lifestyle of consistent training.
Which age group are you in for triathlon?
I will turn 55 this year and join the 55-59 age group.
Oh good, I don’t have to race you, especially at swimming 😊 What are your triathlon aspirations?
My aspiration is to keep training as long as possible and enjoying the process and the outcomes. This year I have registered for the Harvey Bay 100 in November (2km swim, 90km bike, 18km run).
Cool, good luck for that! Now, onto the sensible questions…if you could be an animal, what would it be and why?
If I would choose an animal at this age of my life, I would choose a wild horse, because they are a symbol of freedom, strength and brave spirit.
I love that! What would you sing at a karaoke night?
On a karaoke night I will chose “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” from Cyndi Lauper.
And clearly Ricky Martin too, as we sang that together at the BTC end of season awards night! Actually, I’m not sure you remember – you were jet lagged and drank too much wine. We were amazing by the way 😉
In other news, I heard that your ‘spirited and determined’ daughter swam the English Channel?!
Yes, Fern had to wait to turn 16 which is the minimum age allowed the cross the channel.
Wait, what? 16! Is everyone in your family sporty?
Dan, Fern and Luis are very sporty. Dan is a ski paddler – he’ll be competing at Club Surf Life Saving Worlds in Queensland in September. Luis used to do all the open water series for many years. So it came a time in my life that I was the unfit member of my family and an observer of all the things that I used to enjoy – I guess that’s one of the reasons I got the itchy feet to get back into the sport.
Your kids sound like such an inspiration!
Absolutely. When it is tough I know they have done tougher things. When it’s cold and horrible I imagine Dan getting into the cold, dark water at 5am in winter for his training, or Fern starting her Channel crossing at 2am in a pitch-dark ocean with the dark presence of the cliffs behind her. So when I’m tired on the Ironman 70.3 run I imagine when they told Fern on her 9th hour of the Channel crossing that she had to sprint to avoid a current. She cried that whole hour. Every time she took a breath they shouted, ‘Faster, you need to swim faster.’ So when things get tough for me during an endurance race, I think of all those moments. And I say to myself, ‘I am their mum! I got this…’
You have got this. You’re all amazing! We’re very happy to have you as part of our tri club 😊
