Katy Gibb , a member of Exceed Triathlon Club has had a great year crowning the 2012/13 season with the title of Female Triathlete of the Year . The Award by Triathlon Western Australia was for her " consistent podium results throughout the year".
For the record the results are
at TWA TOTY Winners. Here is another insight into Katy and what makes a Champion Triathlete.
Full name: Katey Gibb
Age Group: 25-30 or Open
Profession: Marketing
Years in profession: 7 years
Brief backgound :Where you grew up and were you into sports when you were younger?
I
grew up in the hills of Perth on a large hobby farm. From a young age I
was involved in a variety of sports, from horse riding, netball,
soccer, cross country running and swimming. I pretty much did any sport I
could!
Swimming
was my main love which I have been involved with since I was 7, when I
joined my first club at ‘Mt Helena Swimming Club’. I didn’t leave the
club until I was 18.
How many years have you been participating in Triathlons. 4 years
When did you realize you’d been bitten by the triathlon bug? When I won my first triathlon at the Women’s Triathlon in 2008
Triathlon experience: As long or as brief as you like
Triathlon
is one of the most well rounded sports I have been a part of. There are
very few sports were you have access to elite athletes and people of
all levels, skills and train together.
I
love the sport because of the variety, you get to train with the best
in each discipline. I also like the fact that guys and girls train and
race together so you always have someone to push you. Triathlon is also a
sport that brings people from all walks of life together, there are
very few sports that do that. I have met people through the sport that I
would never have met otherwise.
Walk us through your active lifestyle. What is an average day when you are training for a season and/or 70.3 ironman: My average day mid-season would look like –
5.00am – Wake up
5.15am
– jump on the bike for a 2 hour session. This may vary from 30min warm
up and warm down with an hour of power in the middle or a ‘brick’
session
7.30am – home for a quick shower and jump of the single speed for a speedy 10km ride to work
8.30am to 5pm – work in the office, luckily I sit down most of the day
5pm – jump on the single speed and cycle to running training
5.30pm
– Running interval session, either with triathletes from my squad or
with a group of elite runners from the ‘Running Centre’
6.30pm – Jump back on the bike for a slow ride home
7.15pm – Home and tuck into a big dinner
9.00pm – Pass out in bed
When taking on such an event, how do you maintain your balance of work, life and family?
I
always try to maintain perspective. If the sport is affecting your
family relationships it is not worth doing so back it off. I always make
sure I put in effort at work and plan my weeks in advance, at the end
of the day I wouldn’t be able to do the sport if I don’t have a job!
I
have been doing the sport long enough now that most of my friends know
that I am MIA during the week, but on the weekends available. I think it
is vitally important that you put your family before the sport because
at the end of the day, family is more important than another trophy on
the shelf. It can be hard during the season but it is always good to
have a step back when it gets too much to really evaluate your
priorities and how they are affecting the rest of your life.
How does an active physical lifestyle tie in to your work ?( if at all)
Well
I have a job that involves sitting on my ass all day so not much. But I
find that doing physical activity helps me concentrate, feel better and
not be as tired. I can pull the long hours at work a lot easier than
most and this is down to being fitter and healthier.
Tell
us about the one or a few inspirational moments of your Triathlon
career. Are there any standout moments or memories or accomplishments
you are most proud of?
My
first was representing Australian in the ITU Olympic World
Championships in 2010. I was still pretty new to the sport, but I had
worked so hard to get there. It also helped shape my goals for the
following years.
Another would be my 2nd Open placing last year where I was the only non-professional in the top 3 in WA.
What do you enjoy the most about our sport. The physical challenge and the people I have met. It makes you realize you can pretty much push yourself to achieve anything.
What is your favorite race and why? All the regional events in WA, Bunbury, Albany and Karri valley. They
are all tough races in beautiful locations. Generally the athletes who
do them are the top, so there is good competition and camaraderie. I
also just like the chance to get away!
Who or what in Triathlon inspires you? The fact that the sport is possible to compete in at all ages. No matter how young, old, fit or unfit anyone can do it.
Do you have a favorite workout and if you do what is it? Fartlek, hill rides and brick sessions. They all hurt, but you gain so much from them!!
What’s one unique thing we might see if we peeked inside your training bag? Don’t
really have anything unique, but I guess amongst all the swimming caps
you will find a bottle of shampoo. This isn’t got getting all pretty
after the race but to de-fog my goggles.
What’s your favorite pre-race or mid-race fuel? My
definite must have pre-race food is a shot of Nitrate Max beetroot
juice to give me that extra boost of nitrate during the race. Also my
essential 2 pieces of toast with Nutella on top (extra thick), which I
have 2 hours before from a race. During racing I use the 32Gi endurance
drinks along with Carbo Shots Gel’s, if it is a long race I will add in a
32Gi energy bar.
Do you have any rituals or good luck routines you do before a race? I
don’t have any good luck routines, but I never do something out of
routine before a race. I always eat and do exactly the same thing as I
would usually do. This gives me peace of mind and helps me not forget
anything.
What’s your favorite triathlon discipline to compete at? Definitely running!! Not only because it is the last leg of the race, but because it is the easiest thing to train for.
What music keeps you motivated during training? I
don’t use any music during training as you can’t use it during racing
and you lose a bit of focus. I am scared I will get dependent on it to
do well, so I just listen to the voices in my head hehe.
What’s something people might be surprised to find out about you?
When you are not training or competing, people can find you: Out in the sun reading a book.
What’s the one race you haven’t done yet that you like to do someday. Probably Cairns 70.3, this is something I plan to do in 2014 if I can fit it around work.
