AustrAliAn triAthlete | 45#inspo
space challenging my own limits. As I
entered high school, surf lifesaving was
starting to become difficult for me
because I was unable to take the large surf
skis and rescue boards out past the big
waves due to my tiny stature.
My friend was participating at the local
Port Macquarie Triathlon Club at the time
and told me I should give it a go. So I
bought a bike and never turned back. I was
accepted into the North Coast Academy
of Sport for cycling and triathlon
and competed at Nationals for both
triathlon and cross-country during high
school. After school I moved to the
Gold Coast - ‘the hub of triathlon’, to
chase that passion, and also start my
university studies.AT: Tell us about your foray into
triathlon? Why did you choose a life of
swim/bike/run?
MR: What drew me to triathlon was the
challenging nature of the sport. I have
always enjoyed seeing how hard I can
push my body and mind. I love that your
result on race day relies on you and not on
other people like in team sports. I also
have a bit of a stubborn, relentless and
obsessive personality, which suits triathlon
well. I am very much a goal-orientated
person; therefore always having a race on
the horizon is a major motivation for me.
This is something I love to work towards in
training daily.
Growing up in Port Macquarie was very
inspiring. My training buddies were always
training for numerous Ironman events and
I aspired to be like them once I was old
enough. I volunteered each year at the 70.3
and full Ironman events at the nutrition
stations, often until the last competitor
came through. I was finally able to
compete in my first Ironman 70.3 only eight
days after my 18th birthday. It was
definitely the best birthday present!AT: Awesome. OK, so tell us what a day
in the life of Madi looks like? Talk us
through your typical day.
MR: Each training day is different, which is
something I absolutely love about our
sport. I generally wake up anywhere
between 4:30-5am and head to the first
session of the morning. Generally, I get
two quality sessions done each morning.
My coach Andrew Ivey (Elitesportz
Specialist) likes to leave the rest of the
day free to recover for the next day. This is
because we train at a high intensity and
the importance of recovery is high so we
can hit those high intensities the following
day. After training, I head off to work – I am
currently working in the marketing
department of an online pet store. On
Saturdays I head out on my long ride and
Sundays are for long runs. Open water
swims are also a weekend favourite with
my squad. My favourite sessions of the
week are ‘Tough Tuesdays’, which
incorporate windtrainer plus treadmill
repeats, Friday 10km tempo runs, and
Sunday long runs.AT: What’s the most important lesson
you have learnt in your time as a
triathlete so far?
MR: Definitely listening to and trusting
your coach! As a young, stubborn
triathlete, I was always inclined to go
further and faster than what my coach
told me. This will usually result in injury,
poor performance or mental burnout. I
joined Andrew Ivey in December 2016 and
put my complete trust in him. Andrew has
a strong coach-athlete connection with all
his athletes and I think this is crucial for
improving performance and believing you
are on the right path to success. Following
a training program and instructions
precisely requires dedication and patience
at times but it is worth it when you achieve
results you never thought you could.AT: I’ve read one of your goals is to turn
pro after Ironman 70.3 worlds this year.
Tell us more about that. Why do you
want to go pro?
MR: Yes, going pro in Ironman 70.3 has
always been a vision of mine and I think I
am getting closer to that goal. After
winning overall at Ironman 70.3 Cairns,
New Zealand and Port Macquarie, I have
greater confidence in mixing it with the
professional women. It will be a big leap
for me and will take some time to
transition but I am willing to give it a go in- I will be 24 next year so I know I will
be one of the youngest (and smallest)
pros on the circuit but I’m willing to put
that aside and focus on my strengths.
2017: Madi took out the overall female win
at Ironman 70.3 Cairns, 2017.