Belinda Granger, the defending women’s champion, is a true triathlon legend! Belinda owns 15 iron-distance titles and is a member of the Australian Ironman Hall of Fame. And this year, Belinda will tackle her 50th iron-distance race in Taitung! Hats off to this incredible lady!
Chris “Macca” McCormack will surely be a crowd favorite in Taitung this year. The four-time World Champion worked his way through triathlon’s ranks after quitting a banking job to pursue his passion. Now Macca serves as the Challenge Family brand ambassador, the Executive Chairman of Thanyapurain Phuket and an inspiration for age groupers everywhere.
Dylan McNeice is Challenge Taiwan’s defending men’s champion. Also a former swimmer from New Zealand, Dylan bonked so badly in his first ever triathlon training camp he was sick for a week. But when he did recover he never looked back, and he now owns three career wins. We’re excited to see whether Dylanwill defend his title this year.
Jodie Scott hails from Melbourne Australia. Her dream oflong distance triathlonracing dates back to the age of 16, when she watched a borrowed tape recording of the 1995 Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. Jodie started out as a competitive swimmer and cross-country runner, and later she made the transition to surf lifesaving.Jodie’s first triathlon was a sprint distance triathlon where she had to borrow a wetsuit and an old pair of running shoes. She loved every minute of the race,secured a podium finish and has been hooked on the sport ever since!
Fredrik Croneborg, originally from Sweden, currently makes his home in Phuket, Thailand. Fredrik’sbest result to date came with his win at the 2013 Ironman 70.3 Taiwan in a time of4:01.14. This year he’ll vie for the Challenge Taiwan title against some of the biggest names in the sport. On the heels of some heavy training at Phuket’s ThanyapuraTriathlon Academy, it may be Frederick’s turn to deliver a win in Taitung.
Kate Bevilaqua comes our way from Perth Australia. Before turning to professional triathlon, Kate was a physical education teacher at Christchurch Grammar School. She went pro in 2006 and finished 6th in her debut race at Ironman Lanzarote. Since then she’s won three Ironman titles–Western Australia, Korea and Louisville–and she topped five race podiums in 2013.Katereturns to Taiwan for her second appearance and will be a strong favorite for the 2014 title.
Guy Crawford(aka Captain Awesome) is a New Zealand native with a swimming background. Tired oflogging endless laps, Guy decided to take on the three-sport discipline of triathlon. Before turning pro he worked for Blueseventy, handling sponsorship and event responsibilities. This is Guy’s second race at Challenge Taiwan.
Kathrin Walther, is aGerman triathlete from Wehauhof. Shegrew up in a sporty family, following in her father’s and brothers’ footsteps and tackling her first triathlon at the age of 17. Kathrin truly enjoyed the combination of three endurance sports and the training involved. For 2014 her goals are to strive, to race, to lose, to win and to always smile!
Hillary Biscay, a PhD candidate-turned-triathlete from the USA, is one of the most prolific iron-distance athletes on the planet, with 63 finishes to her name. Hillary often races iron-distance events on back-to-back weekends. In 2013 Hillary earned accolades as theUltraman World Champion, powering her way through the three-day, 515-km endurance test on Hawaii’s Big Island to finish secondoverall and record the fastest women’s Ultraman time in history.
Matt Burton of Australia comes to us off a recentwin at the inaugural Challenge Philippines, his first major international triathlon as a pro. Matt was the 18-24 age group Ironman World Champion in 2011, Australia’s fastest age group finisher. A powerful cyclist, we’re eager to watchMatt’s attemptto back up his win in the Philippines with the Challenge Taiwan title.
Britta Martin of Germany quit her day job in 2007 to pursue a career in professional cycling. Later she realized that triathlon was her true love, thus Britta switched her focus to multi-sport and her home base to the training-friendly climate of New Zealand.
PetrVabroušek from the Czech Republic is a legendary competitor, having logged 138 iron-distance finishes. Petr has earned 25 overall iron-distance titles during his career and hasplaced in the top 10 in 112 out of his 138-race tally. Impressive indeed!
Simone Maier, the 3rd place finisher at 2014’s Challenge Wanaka, hails from Germany. Along with triathlon, Simone isactive in mountain running and adventure racing.
Till Schramm of Germany is, according to his friends, the funniest and most polite professional triathlete you’ll ever meet. An uber-friendly guy and a father of two, Till has been training hard to arrive in Taiwan in top shape, and he looks forward to enjoyingboth the race and the cultural experience.
Jessica Marie Fleming is a former junior national level basketball player from Australia, as well as an accomplished downhill skier. She turned to triathlon at the age of 30, making her long-course debut at Ironman Western Australia and winning her age group with a record time of 9:49. A strong cyclist, Jess will definitely fire things up in the cycling leg.
Brad Wauer of Australia is a young gun determined to make a name for himself on the professional triathlon circuit. Always curious and unafraid to seek advice, the up and comer enjoyed a training camp with Ironman World Champion Pete Jacobs, wherein he gained valuable experience. In addition to training and racing, Brad is currently a student at the University of Southern Australia.
Yvette Grice hails from the UK, where she started racing in 2004. An obviously talented age grouper, Yvette turned projust two years later. Yvette’s top performances in 2013 includea win at the Brett Ashford Triathlon, 2nd at Challenge Henley and 6th at Challenge Roth.