Why this successful long-course pro is heading down under with a sense of adventure and possibility.
Canadian Heather Wurtele has bucked the trend, coming down in distance to line up for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on Australia’s Sunshine Coast this weekend.
The 37-year-old began launched her athletic career as an adventure racer before venturing "down" in distance to IRONMAN eight years ago. After a string of successes including six IRONMAN wins, the Canadian kept going shorter, until she found the half-distance, which seems to be her true sweet spot.
The Calgary, Alberta born Wurtele has enjoyed even more success over the last five years with wins in Panama, Calgary, Monterey, Oceanside, Eagleman, Racine, St. George and Victoria. She has clocked four wins and a second this year alone and stands as a bone fide contender after placing on the podium at the past two IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships.
Wurtele is far from fazed about traveling down under for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, adding that it's part of what makes the sport exciting: "There may be a little more travel involved for some but every race has its unique challenges. I like that this event moves around the world. It keeps things fresh and allows athletes with different strengths some different opportunities." She adds that she's excited to race in Australia, a place with a knowledge and passion for triathlon that she really appreciates. "It’s going to be a great race environment," she says.
Her husband and training partner, Trevor, who will join her on the start line in Mooloolaba are based in Kelowna, B.C., but frequently travel south for camps with their triathlon squad.
"I like to swim with others, and while it’s great to have company on hard tempo runs and track sessions, I like to run and ride alone," Wurtele says of her training approach. "It’s great to have other people around to motivate you, but it’s also good to be internally motivated and to listen to your body when you may need to back off a little."
Wurtele will race in both world championship events and hopes to build on her third-place in Mont Tremblant in 2015 and second in Zell am See last year.
"Given that both Jan and Daniela won both the IRONMAN 70.3 and IRONMAN world titles, one really can’t say that the opportunity to crush both races isn’t there," she says confidently. "I’m definitely focused on executing my very best performance in Mooloolaba."
As for advice for age-groupers, Wurtele says to focus on your own performance. "You can’t control what your competitors do, but you can control your mental space. Talk to yourself in a positive way, and always return to focusing on doing your best at each moment in the race."
For herself, Wurtele enjoys overcoming challenges that enable her to grow as an athlete: "Winning a world championship is a big over-arching driver, but each day I just try to focus on the process and be totally engaged in each training session," she says.
For a scientist with a background in plant physiology and molecular genetics, this triathlon star can clearly see the forest and the trees.