Want to swim, cycle, run in Canberra’s beautiful outdoors with likeminded women?
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Sometimes just starting is the hardest part.
Pulling on your swimmers for the first time in months, dragging your cobwebbed bike out of the garage or sliding on your smelly sneakers.
Then there’s finding time in your busy schedule to fit in a bit of exercise and convincing your mates to train with you…
Sometimes it’s easier to just stay in bed!
But the members of Females In Training (FIT) want to assure you that taking that first step towards exercise is the hardest part – the rest is easy. And that’s because we’re doing it together and we love it!
Did you know Canberra has a dedicated triathlon club for women, offering an encouraging, supportive and friendly environment to train at your own pace, and socialise at the same time?
Females in Training (FIT) has been coaching women in triathlon for 30 years. We welcome any skill level from beginner to elite and any age group above 18. Our qualified coaches will help you reach your goals at your own pace – you will be amazed at what you can achieve.
We’re starting our annual Women’s Triathlon Training Program (WTTP) next week and we want you to join us. You just need to commit to a few training sessions a week, with a positive ‘can do’ attitude. You’ll even have a chance to swim in the lake. Really, it’s not that hard!
Here are a few stories from our teammates, to give you a taste of what’s to come:
Christina’s Story
Christina competing in the 2022 Tri-a-Try event.
“I have never considered myself to be an athlete of any kind. If someone had said to me five years ago that I would be competing in triathlons as I approached the age of 45, I would have laughed.
Apart from swimming laps and the occasional family bike ride, the thought of competitive swimming, cycling and running (and at my age!) felt completely alien.
Cut to early 2022: I had just moved with my family to Canberra and came across FIT during a Google search for a local pool. Seeing stories of women just like me who had completed the women’s triathlon training program (WTTP) made it seem like something I could do too!
I had just celebrated my 43rd birthday, which was a huge milestone for me, having lost my mother to cancer when she was 43, and I decided that doing a triathlon might be a healthy way to mark this occasion.
Crossing that triathlon finish line at the end of the WTTP program with my little girls cheering me on is a moment I will never forget.
FIT brought so much into my life: friendships, connection to the Canberra environment and community, greater health and fitness and a new perspective on physical and mental challenges.
I have gone on to compete in a number of events over the last two years, surrounded by amazing women of all ages, shapes and sizes (some up to 25 years older than me) and I realise I’m just at the beginning of this exciting new chapter of my life, a chapter my mother never had a chance to experience.
People take up triathlon at all stages of their lives for all sorts of reasons, my story is just one. There is really something in this sport for everyone.”
Libby’s Story
Libby (centre), cycling with other FIT members during a regular weekly training session.
“Triathlon was a world that initially seemed distant and challenging to me, despite having a relatively fit lifestyle. It was my cousins who first planted the seed of curiosity about this sport. They were constantly raving about the thrill of triathlons and encouraging me to join them in a race. However, I hesitated, convinced that triathlons were too demanding and beyond my reach.
After mentioning this to a work colleague she suggested that if I wanted to tackle a triathlon, I should join Females in Training (FIT).
In 2021, as the second COVID lockdown ended, I took her advice, bought myself a bike, and eagerly signed up to FIT. The support of the highly qualified volunteer coaches, present at every run, cycle, and swim session, helped me build both fitness and confidence. With their guidance, I was ready to give triathlon a try.
My first event was nerve-wracking, but the sense of accomplishment and the rush of endorphins left me yearning for more. Two years on, I can confidently say that I’ve discovered my true passion. Last season, I not only managed to qualify for the 2024 World Championships in duathlon but also proudly took home the season Most Valued Player medal. I eagerly await the challenges and triumphs this new season has in store for me.
Being part of an all-female triathlon club like FIT holds immense significance in my life. I am passionate about promoting female participation in sports. As a mother of three school-aged children, I cherish the opportunity to be a positive role model, especially for my daughter. I love that she is growing up witnessing all kinds of women prioritising their health through active participation in triathlons.
If you have ever considered doing a triathlon, come and join the WTTP program at FIT. It will be one of the best things you have ever done.”
2022 WTTP participants at the Try-A-Tri event.
FIT’s Women’s Triathlon Training Program (WTTP) starts on 11 October and concludes with the Try a Tri race at Mount Stromlo on 3 December.
Registrations will close on Sunday 8 October. Participants will be invited to a get-together to meet each other and our coaches on the evening of Monday 9 October.
Feature image: Members of FIT at a Triathlon event.
