Proud South Australian, Paige Cranage has been competing in triathlon for almost a decade, and is now passionate about continuing to see the sport grow in her home state.
Living in a remote area of South Australia, Paige often trains solo, but a favourite memory from her time in the sport comes from a unique opportunity overseas.
“My dad got me into triathlon when I was 13/14 – he was a cyclist, so we always went for family rides on the weekends,” Cranage said.
“I also did swimming lessons as a kid and enjoyed little athletics, particularly the long-distance events.
“At the time of my first triathlon, I wasn’t doing much sport at all because I was at the end of my recovery from a back injury that forced me out of gymnastics.
“My first triathlon was at the Weet-Bix Kids triathlon, and I remember training for it in our backyard.
“I really enjoyed the experience and have been training and racing since – I’ve been doing triathlons for almost 9 years now.
“My favourite memory from triathlon so far is from 2022, when I got the opportunity to train and race in Europe with the Junior Australian Triathlon team.
“Due to where I live, I do a lot of my training by myself, so to wake up every day and train with a small team of talented and enthusiastic young athletes was a wholesome experience.
“Training and living overseas were also great eye-openers to some of the potential opportunities I could embark on in the future, and they showed me the life of a triathlete outside of Australia.
“This trip really ‘sealed the deal’ regarding my hopes to travel, train and race as a professional athlete one day.”
With big name race events amongst Paige’s favourites, it is still the local South Australian races alongside the tightknit triathlon community that she looks forward to the most.
“I love our little SA triathlon community and I always get excited to see everyone on and off the course,” she said.
“We also have some beautiful race locations in SA, particularly Victor Harbor, Moana and Westlakes!
“One of my favourite parts of triathlon is the community it builds and I’ve met most of my closest friends through sports.
“Triathlon is a tough sport so triathletes must be willing to work hard and push each other to achieve their goals.
“This builds a strong, supportive and grateful community and has taught me to be resilient and diligent in my endeavours.
“I believe anyone can do anything with the right mindset.
“Yes, it can be a challenging sport, but I reckon anyone could have a good crack at it with the right attitude and mindset.
“I hope I can share that message with everyone, inspiring people to believe in themselves and what they’re capable of.
“It’s really nice to see more and more women participating in triathlons – this sport is great at bringing people together.
“Everyone’s on their own journey to achieve the same goal – pushing yourself to be the best you can be, getting to that finish line, ticking off a major achievement, having fun, suffering together and taking pride in movement.
“I think the more women we can get into triathlon, the more we will realise what we are capable of.”
As a recent recipient of the President’s Recognition Award, Paige is most appreciative of the sport and its inspiring community – and invites everyone to get involved and have fun doing it.
“I am super grateful and honoured to be awarded the President’s Recognition award,” she said.
“I didn’t expect it at all, and it feels very special to be recognised as someone who truly loves and cares about the sport of triathlon.
“The community is one of my favourite parts of triathlon, being around other passionate, hard-working and supportive athletes has always been a highlight of my triathlon journey.
“It has inspired me to work hard for what I want and push myself to new pbs and accomplishments.
“It has also taught me to be grateful for what I have and the opportunities life can give us.
“To anyone getting started – have fun with it!
“Triathlon is a challenging sport, but it is also a very fun and rewarding one.
“You can never really get bored training for three sports either – which is one of my favourite aspects of triathlon.
“The people and community within triathlon will always support you, so never be afraid to reach out if you are considering giving it a go!”
