Inspirational ‘Ironwoman’ and Australian Triathlon Hall of Fame member Belinda Granger will shed light on her brilliant career at a special ‘Women’s Only Training Camp’ at Thanyapura from August 23rd to 25th 2013.
Belinda Granger is one of the most influential and successful triathletes Australia has produced, with an incredible 15 Ironman distance wins and five Top 10 finishes at the Ironman World Championships at Kona, Hawaii, putting her second in the all-time list of female Ironman victories.
Ms Granger will run the training camp in tandem with Thanyapura’s Triathlon Senior Coach Juergen Zack, himself a legend in the sport and record-breaking eight time worldwide Ironman winner, whose Ironman Bike Course Record was 4 hours, 14 minutes and 12 seconds, which he held for 14 years.
Following her 10th and final appearance at the 2013 DATEV Challenge Roth event, the ‘Tour de France’ of triathlon which attracts crowds of over 250,000 spectators to the Belgian hamlet, Ms Granger said she couldn’t wait to return to Thanyapura to conduct the camp.
“I will be giving away many of the secrets to my longevity in the sport and maintaining a healthy balance between triathlon and lifestyle – something that many people struggle with,” Ms Granger said. “I will also be talking about nutrition for training and racing. The camp is aimed specifically at women in triathlon. It does not matter what level you are at, the camp is open to women of all abilities, from the experienced racer to the ‘newbie’,” she said.
“There will be training sessions for the swim, bike and run and workshops focusing on technique, but there will also be informal seminars over lunch and dinner where the girls can ask me and other experienced triathletes any questions they like.
“The facilities at Thanyapura are second to none. There is nowhere else in the world where you have access to so much state-of-the-art equipment right at your finger tips. That is why my husband and I often stay there. It makes training so easy.”
Thanyapura President Robert Hauck said he was delighted to welcome Ms Granger and all the camp participants to Thanyapura and he said it was an important milestone in cementing Thanyapura’s leading role in transforming Phuket into one of the world’s leading triathlon destinations.
Thanyapura is launching its inaugural ‘Month For Women’ this August, 2013, with a host of exciting activities and world class athletes gracing its standard-setting campus in the midst of national parkland in Phuket. Besides the Women’s Only Training Camp, Thanyapura ‘Month For Women’ will also see world champion triathlete Caroline Steffen in residence, an Empowering Women Workshop on August 22, special promotions for Female club members, Mother-Daughter tea parties and cooking classes throughout August.
Ms Granger said the camp would be a great tune-up and performance-honing workshop for triathletes entering this year’s inaugural Challenge Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest, which kicks off on 24th November.
The Challenge Family, which runs the race at Roth, recently announced a partnership with Asia’s longest running triathlon: 2013 sees the launch of Challenge Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest, a week-long celebration of the sport which will incorporate the iconic Laguna Phuket Triathlon and half distance Challenge Laguna Phuket.
“I am 43 this year and I am nowhere near ready to give it all up,” said Ms Granger. “I still love the sport so much and I still feel like I have so much to give. I am living proof to all those women out there who think they are too old to do triathlon that you are never too old or too slow or too inexperienced.
“I will definitely be back this year to race both races at the Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest. This is not only one of the best races in the world but Phuket is absolutely the best triathlon destination. I am hoping that many of the women who come to the camp also sign up for one of the races – either the original Laguna Phuket Triathlon, Challenge Phuket Half Distance or even the 5km fun run.”
Ms Granger said she was confident women received fair treatment in the sport of triathlon. “As a professional triathlete, I get equal opportunity when it comes to racing over the same course and distance as my male counterparts.
“We also get the same prize money and depth of prize money as the men. Every race I show up to the number of women racing increases. Women have embraced the sport of triathlon in a big way and with all the different distances being offered in our sport there is something for everyone.”
Ms Granger said she enjoyed her 10th and final race at Roth, and was happy to see Caroline Steffen, this year’s winner, take her crown as ‘Queen of Roth’. “Challenge Roth was amazing,” she said. “I felt like a princess. The town of Roth has embraced me as one of their own and I loved it. They awarded me lifelong ‘sanctuary’ in the town, and it’s such a phenomenal race. Definitely one for every serious triathlete’s ‘bucket list’. I will be back there for sure next year, but not racing.”
Image courtesy of Belinda Granger Facebook page