Wavell Heights triathlete Alex Osborn is heading to New Zealand this month to compete in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship.
The event, which runs from 10 December to 16 December in Taupo, will see the mother of three tackle a 1.9km swim, a 90km cycle and a 21.1km run.
Alex, who won the Noosa Triathlon last year, first got into triathlons 10 years ago “just to try something different”.
“I’d always been a good swimmer and runner and I thought, ‘everyone can ride a bike!’,” Alex said. “But growing up in the UK until I was 16, I had a fear of the ocean, which took me years to overcome. When I did, I never looked back!’
After taking a break to start a family, she returned to training four years ago and discovered her competitive potential. She has since secured multiple podium finishes, including three second-place results in Ironman 70.3 events.
Her husband, Dustin, has also represented Australia in the recent World Triathlon Championships.
“It helps that I have a husband who has just as much passion and love for the sport of Ironman as me and to have this shared love is what makes it a way of life in our family, not just a hobby,” she said.
Racing Against the Odds: Alex’s Resilient Spirit
The road to qualifying for the World Championship has not been smooth sailing. Last year, Alex was hit by a car while cycling, requiring major shoulder surgery. Despite the setback, she was determined to race again and competed in the Ironman 70.3 in Cairns eight weeks post-surgery. She went on to earn a qualification spot at the Sunshine Coast event three months later.
“To get that second place and be offered a place to race in Taupo brought me to tears after the year that had been and the adversity I had overcome to get there,” she said.
Alex will be joined in New Zealand by her husband, children, parents and Dustin’s parents. With their unwavering support, she hopes to achieve a top-ten spot.
“It’s a BIG goal but you have to dream in order to achieve and I will be giving it my all to achieve it on race day,” she said.
“I keep my eyes on the prize and everything I do is to hopefully inspire my family and make my children proud of me so they can see what all my hard work is for.”
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