Earning the opportunity to represent your country is a dream many aspire to achieve from a young age.
Tasmanian Tim Belstead had always possessed the desire to don the green and gold, but only found his love for triathlon in recent years.
“I first started triathlon in January 2023 where I took part in a local Olympic Distance Triathlon in preparation for the Ironman 70.3 Tasmania,” Belstead said.
“After completing this event I was absolutely hooked.
“Since then, it’s definitely hard to pick a favourite moment but I think a highlight for me would be Ironman 70.3 Tasmania 2024 – I was able to take well over an hour off my time from the previous year – it was very rewarding to be able to see all of my hard work and dedication pay off.
“In terms of favourite race locations, I was lucky enough to race at the 70.3 Ironman World Championship in Taupo, New Zealand.
“It was an amazing event with a challenging course, the crowd was unbelievable and being so close to home meant that my whole support crew were able to be there to support.”
Having represented Australia in the Age Group team previously – finishing second on the podium in the Aquathlon and fourth in the Long Distance Triathlon – Tim is hoping to go even further in 2025.
“As a kid I always dreamed of representing Australia in sport,” he said.
“It’s an absolute honour and an unreal feeling to be able to run down that finish chute waving the Aussie flag.
“To have the opportunity to race in front of a home crowd again is a massive advantage.
“It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it, the support from the crowd really gives you that extra energy to dig deep throughout the race and knowing my friends and family will be able to attend is really special.
“I’m super grateful to be a part of the triathlon community, everyone is so supportive and helpful which was particularly beneficial for me when I was finding my feet in this sport.
“Everyone is out there having a crack to try and be the best version of themselves and it’s really inspiring to hear the stories of why other athletes compete in this great sport.
“To anyone wanting to start – just get out there and give it a go with what you have, don’t feel like you need all of the fancy gear to get started in triathlon.
“Focus on your own personal improvements and you will reap the physical and mental health benefits which are second to none!”
The Preliminary 2025 Australian Age Group Triathlon Team will be announced on the AusTriathlon website by 5pm AEST on Monday the 26th of May 2025.
