Victorian Merlin Tzaros has always been involved in swimming, mountain biking and running, and four years ago found his love for triathlon and now is beyond excited to put on his Australian kit for the first time in Wollongong.
“When I was little, I’d always be running with mum and dad at Parkruns and just for fun, and I loved being on my mountain bike,” Tzaros said.
“We went to the pool often and I was part of a swimming club on and off for many years, and I did a kids triathlon when I was very young and found it fun, but I was never really serious about sport until about Year 4 when I got into cross country running. I loved running on the bush tracks.
“With a background in all three sports, triathlon caught my eye again about 4 years ago and I’ve been doing it ever since.
“I am part of Peak Athlete Coaching (PAC) with Nick Haddon, and the community in this club is great to be a part of.
“We live in north east Victoria about 3.5 hours from Melbourne where PAC is based, so we don’t actually get to spend much in-person time with Nick and the rest of the team. However, it’s great to meet up at races and the occasional training session.
“Nick has been extremely valuable in my development as an athlete and I couldn’t do it without him!
“I find the wider Triathlon community in general just incredible as the athletes and families are so encouraging and supportive, and being able to travel across the country and reconnect with all my triathlete mates, is amazing and one of the best aspects of this sport.”
With a passion for racing no matter the course, time or representative level, Merlin can’t wait to race in a home World Championships in Australia.
“I just love racing and so to me, every race is super enjoyable, no matter the result, and the highlights are just all the seasons put together,” he said.
“However, a few races that I consider to be some of my favourite memories include the 2023 AGPT Final in Port Adelaide, 2024 Challenge Canberra, and 2025 Oceania Junior Championships.
“Personal highlights for me have also been the amazing connections, training and learnings from the Elites and best in the country.
“To me, representing Australia in the green and gold at a home World Championships in Wollongong is a huge opportunity and something I’m really proud to be part of.
“I’ve raced at this location last year at the Junior National Sprint Championships, and I loved every second of it, so I’m pumped that I get another opportunity to race there.
“Hopefully I can get the feeling of racing at home again in 7 years’ time in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics!
“I am really excited for Wollongong on so many levels, it will be the first time I get to wear the green and gold, which is a dream for many and such a special and amazing opportunity.
“Also, I get to immerse myself in a fantastic community surrounded by fellow Aussies and for the first time treat everyone as teammates against the world, not interstate battles!
“I’m geared up for the racing itself as well and am keen to put together a really solid race and if I could achieve a spot on the podium, I’d be super stoked.
“Just being there and racing, amongst the best triathletes in the world who will be racing will be an incredible experience!”
The 2025 World Triathlon Championships will take place in Wollongong, Australia from 15 – 19 October 2025.
