Mother Daughter Race Together At World Championships
In September 2022 as we waited for Leaving cert results and college offers, on the day they dropped Aoife got an email from Triathlon Ireland saying that she had auto qualified for Age group Sprint triathlon European and World Championships. What a day, she was over the moon. At that stage there was no announcement were these events would be held so we thought no more.
A few months later another email arrived, and Aoife applied for the World Championships in Hamburg. As I would be going to Hamburg too I decided I would apply for a spot on the Age Group team too, after all when would I ever get another chance to race at a world championships with my daughter? Or get the chance to see all the professional triathletes’ race on the world stage.
Application process was really easy, all done through the TI website in the membership section.
Fast forward to July and we were all set to go. The Ireland tri suit with name on it arrived (very exciting delivery) and the bikes serviced and ready to be packed. The Triathlon Ireland team managers (Roisin & Eleanor) had a zoom call with the whole team and had a very handy pack for us with all the key info, it was great to put names to faces and we set up a WhatsApp group to stay connected.
The atmosphere in Hamburg was electric, they shut down the center of the city for 4 days for age group, elite and open races. Everywhere you looked there was triathletes from all over the world, all fizzing with energy for the race to come. It was fab to see all the different countries’ tri suit designs and colors too. We met with the rest of the Irish team at registration, the excitement was off the charts. Roisin and Eleanor talked us through some updated information they had received at the team manager briefing and explained the transition (it was a mirrored split transition). We took a team picture (which got photo bombed by a team Mexico athlete in a luchador wrestling mask!). Off to walk some of the run course and transition and back to our hotels to pretend to get a good night sleep. The big stress for me anyways was would it be a wetsuit swim? Having not done a triathlon in open water without my wetsuit I was very nervous and the water was already 22.8 degrees with 22 being the cut off, no wetsuit. We watched the junior elite sprint race which was unbelievable, the speed they swim/bike/run at is insane.
We got the transition bag packed, stickers on bike and helmet all set. Next morning just before we left hotel I decided to put the air in the types and BANG the value on the tube broke, quick change and we were out the door. Both Aoife and I were so nervous but so excited too, we just wanted to get going.
We racked our bikes in what has to be the longest transition in the world (adding an additional 1.6km of running to get to either end!) and it was so exciting to chat with all the other athletes, the atmosphere was unbelievable. The news came wetsuit legal for the 1st 6 waves and they would take another check in 1 hour (of course I was in wave 13 so another hour of sweating!).
To see the different waves all leaving from the pontoon at the Alster lake was on a scale I had never experienced. The news came wetsuit legal for all, I could relax a bit. Aoife got set for the 16-19 yr olds and I had to pinch myself, it was so special to get to share that moment with her. Into the swim and a big pack start. I was up next and off we go, everyone was in such high spirits.
Swim done (not fast for me!) and I will never forget the support on that long run from swim exit to transition with all the supports and other age group athletes I felt like a pro!
Out onto the bike course, 2 loops around Hamburg along famous hotspots to the Elbe which was really scenic and well supported and finally run on a circuit along the Outer Alster. The run was great, everyone on course was supporting each other and I got chills when I would hear “go team Ireland”, it gives me goosebumps just to think about it now. The last part of the run was a snake through the streets of Hamburg to a huge finish line in front of the formidable Town hall. I have run up the red carpet before in Ironman but it felt different running up the blue carpet of a world triathlon race. Aoife was waiting for me at the finish line and it was really special. By the time we got pictures together and with the team, when I got out to Alan I was a ball of emotion. As someone who is never on the podium or front of the pack I never thought I would get to race at a World Championships and this race summed up everything I love about Triathlon; the all-inclusive nature, the support, that feeling of although we were from all over the world we were all on the one team and happy to support each other. Getting to make these memories with Aoife was so special, as a mum these are the moments you hold onto forever.
If you get the chance think about applying for age group international racing, you won’t regret it.
