Stay ConnectedThe WITSUP, women in triathlon, podcast is a lot more than just swim, bike and run. It’s all about getting to know the person behind the triathlete. What makes them tick. Who or what inspires them. What has driven them to be the person and the athlete they are today.
So imagine yourself joining me and your favourite triathlete for a chat over a coffee, or a wine if you prefer, and plenty of laughs.
Hailing from Seattle, Washington, otherwise known as the hometown of Dr. McDreamy and Ken Griffey Junior, we sat down with Kelsey Withrow for what felt like the seven hundredth time! She is officially the most patient guest we have ever had. Although her website is written in bullet points, there is so much that fits in between the lines. From accidents and injuries, she has worked her way up the triathlon ranks despite all odds. She has overcome abusive coach relationships, eating disorders, and injury cycles that lasted for years to become stronger than she ever has. It’s so refreshing to talk to someone who doesn’t sugarcoat hardships, but openly and honestly works through them in order to grow. We chat about new beginnings with the Real Triathlon Squad and a new coach. Triathlon is better for having Kelsey Withrow, and we’re better from our conversation. Follow Kelsey: https://www.instagram.com/kelseywithrow1/ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SUPPORT WITSUP: Become a Witsup member - www.patreon.com/witsup
“If I had that time over, I wouldn’t complain about having to ride the turbo because it’s raining outside.” Great things come in three. Swim Bike Run. The Hanson brothers. The Lord of the Rings Books. And potentially, the number of gold medals that Lauren Parker will win at the Tokyo Olympics. Before her accident almost four years ago, she had already qualified for her professional license in 2016 and raced the Ironman circuit as an able-bodied athlete. Her horrible bike accident that resulted in many injuries, the worst to her spinal cord changed many things, but it didn’t change the fire in Lauren Parker’s eyes for the sport of triathlon - the sport that saved and shattered her life. We chat about her journey through the sport, before and after her accident and her future goals in triathlon. Lauren allows herself to be vulnerable and open in our chat and what she goes through daily is eye opening. We’re beyond inspired by Lauren’s tenacity and drive when the world can seem stacked against her. We’ll be cheering loudly for Lauren in the Tokyo 2021 Paralympics and know you will too after hearing her story. Follow Lauren: www.instagram.com/laurenparker2127 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SUPPORT WITSUP: Become a Witsup member - www.patreon.com/witsup
Lisa Roberts, what can’t she do? Runner, pro triathlete, tree enthusiast, pre-covid Sourdough expert, landscape architect, Star Wars superfan. Basically, she’s Wonder Woman, but the Wonder-woman from a galaxy far far away. She even knows how many claps fall into the Friends theme song. We love hearing more about the many adventures of Lisa Roberts and the many hats she wears. Retirement certainly isn’t slowing down this super-human! Ps. You'll be seeing more of Lisa on the Witsup pages in the coming weeks as she puts pen to paper on some running articles. ** We hope people get the title of this one ** Follow Lisa: https://www.instagram.com/run_jedi_run/ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SUPPORT WITSUP: Become a Witsup member - www.patreon.com/witsup
Jess Learmonth was the most popular guest of 2020, so we asked her to kick off 2021 and return to the pod - which, despite not believing she was the most popular, was well chuffed to have another chat. "I don't have much to talk about though, I haven't done anything since the last episode!" she exclaimed. But, unsurprisingly we managed to fill the time easily - mostly with laughing - which is exactly what we all need right now. She shares her thoughts on the global pandemic, teaches us some new Jess-slang, and we find out just who exactly is, Our Jim. Follow Jess: https://www.instagram.com/jllearmonth * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SUPPORT WITSUP: Become a Witsup member - www.patreon.com/witsup
Nikki Bartlett seems to wake up every day like it's Christmas, and her enthusiasm for everything is contagious. She's always been full of energy and was one of those kids who could never sit still - you won't get an argument from her fiance, her parents or from her school teachers. Through her teenage years and into her early twenties, that energy seemed to be focused on partying hard, but over time it shifted as she fell into the sport of rowing and realised she was not only talented, but had found something that she actually wanted to work hard for. She's a cracker, and is the perfect injection of energy to see out 2020 on the Witsup Podcast. Follow Nikki: https://www.instagram.com/nikkibartlett1/ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SUPPORT WITSUP: Become a Witsup member - www.patreon.com/witsup
Off the back of Paula Findlay's big win at The PTO Championship, Challenge Daytona, we wanted to revisit our chat with her 12 months ago. This is a great opportunity to learn more about her roller coaster career and allow the enormity of her win in Daytona this year to sink in a little more. Oh, and spoiler alert, her and Eric ended up getting a dog since our last chat. Hi Flynn! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * You would never know it from this softly spoken and humble athlete, but Paula Findlay made a huge splash in triathlon at the age of 20 and had her country's hopes pinned to her back for the Olympic Games. But with all those hopes, comes all those pressures ... It's a decade later and Paula is suddenly 30. I noticed during our chat that she kept mentioning that she was now 30, and couldn't help but feel that this was a significant milestone for her. We discuss being all grown up, the roller coaster ride she's been on, what dog she wants to get, her strongest personality trait and what she's learnt about herself in the past decade. Follow Paula: https://www.instagram.com/paula_findlay Photo by Professional Triathletes Organisation * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SUPPORT WITSUP: Become a Witsup member - www.patreon.com/witsup
In our second installment of RAW, we welcome Susan Lacke, a triathlon and endurance sports journalist and author, and Kate Næss, consulting psychologist, speaker, and recently retired elite triathlete and Paralympian. We speak with these two women with different disabilities about where we are in accepting people with disabilities. What can we do to be more inclusive for all people at all ability levels? Representation. They open up about struggles that they, and others in their community have in navigating spaces without representation. We chat about society’s tendency to take people with disabilities and put them in a box and exploit them for the benefit of others without disabilities. Thanks to Susan and Kate for reminding us that vulnerability and strength aren’t independent from each other, but actually depend on each other. We learned so much from these two women and had a few laughs along the way. We hope you enjoy this chat and learn a few things too. FOLLOW SUSAN: https://twitter.com/SusanLacke FOLLOW KATE: https://www.katedoughty.com/ SUSAN'S BOOKS: Life’s Too Short To Go So F*cking Slow - https://bit.ly/2I3zBkT Running Outside the Comfort Zone - https://bit.ly/37shYUJ BECOME A WITSUP MEMBER - www.patreon.com/witsup
“You know the phrase, ‘this is a sinking ship’? Well, Els Visser knows what it’s like first hand to be in a sinking ship ... yes we’re serious. The positivity, perseverance, and bravery that Els showed is the energy that we all need in the year of 2020 that sometimes feels like a sinking ship. We were absolutely floored to hear the heroic story of survival when a hole was torn in the bottom of her boat ... in the middle of the night ... in the middle of a storm ... in the middle of an ocean. Equally impressive is her ability to emotionally heal from the traumatic experience after the physical wounds had healed and earn her degree to become a doctor. Not long afterwards, she decided to put her MD on pause to pursue the top level of professional triathlon. What did we learn from our chat about Els Visser? Don’t put her in a box!" Els Visser TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWMT-7BS_i0 Follow Els: https://elsvisser.com/ BECOME A WITSUP MEMBER - www.patreon.com/witsup
As Sika committed to the goal of competing at the highest level of triathlon, she also realized the glaring lack of diversity in triathlon. We discuss the importance of representation in sport, and how triathlon would benefit from diversifying it’s professional field. We are incredibly inspired by her perseverance when the going gets rough and her ‘do anything until you reach your goal’ mindset. She even did a DIY 50k ultramarathon by using her driveway as an aid station ... in 3:45! What makes Sika tick and brought her back to triathlon after a crash? Listen in to find out. “I didn’t realize how much of an impact it would have until my crash last year when I didn’t know if I would come back to the sport. I received so many messages from African-American kids encouraging me to keep going, and that’s probably why I didn’t quit last year.” Follow Sika - https://www.instagram.com/sikahenry/ BECOME A WITSUP MEMBER - www.patreon.com/witsup
We chat with best friend stealer and puppy owner Meredith Hill about the pros and cons of balancing being a physiotherapist and professional triathlete. What's the right balance of training as a professional and also working her brain muscles as a physio? She also tells us about the time she had to emergency camp next to an active volcano, and answers the burning question, ‘what is your ideal football position in another athletic life?’ Sidebar - between the time we recorded and the time we published this episode, Meredith adopted another rescue pup! Follow Meredith - https://www.instagram.com/meredith.a.hill/ BECOME A WITSUP MEMBER - www.patreon.com/witsup
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