As the countdown begins toward the 2026 Oceania Championships at the Devonport Triathlon, Tasmania’s own Jack Woodberry is preparing for a start line that means far more than just another race. It marks the return of one of Australia’s most promising junior triathletes and the first real test since an injury shattered his 2025 season and forced him to withdraw from the World Triathlon Championship Finals on home soil.
“Your sport is your life,” Woodberry says. “To have it taken away… it makes you think about why you do this and what’s really important.” Instead of derailing him, disappointment became a spark. Now, with Devonport ahead, he is ready to show the triathlon world what he’s made of.
Woodberry’s journey started in Tasmania, where sport is a community cornerstone. He grew up trying his hand at everything, football, hockey, touch footy, soccer – until triathlon found him through a sibling rivalry with his older brother. Through Triathlon South, he discovered not just competition, but a sense of belonging and a constant challenge. There is always someone faster to chase.
It’s also where he met his first coach Peter McKenna, who became a major influence through Woodberry’s teenage years. “He believed in me,” Woodberry says. “Without him and the club, I honestly think I would’ve gotten sidetracked into another sport.” Even now, the pair stay in regular contact.
Training in Tasmania builds toughness, but when AusTriathlon launched the Ascent Academy on the Gold Coast, Woodberry made the bold decision to move interstate, alone, to take his development to the next level. “If you want something bad enough, you make sacrifices,” he says.
Under the guidance of two former World Champions now Ascent Academy coaches – Non Stanford-Royle and Daniel Unger, Jack is experiencing his first real taste of squad training. The competitiveness fires him up, but the camaraderie keeps him grounded. “You learn it’s about getting better together,” he says.
When he isn’t racing or training, Jack works two jobs, as an apprentice builder and a lifeguard at the Miami pool where the squad trains. It keeps him balanced and often motivates him. “Sometimes digging holes in the rain makes you want to train even harder,” he laughs.
But it’s the injury before the 2025 World Championships that reshaped his perspective. What should have been a defining moment turns into a mental battle instead. He turned to mentors, including Tasmanian cycling champion Richie Porte, who offered the reassurance that setbacks are part of the journey. “It’s nice talking to someone who’s been through it,” Woodberry says. “They get it.”
Fast-forward to now, Woodberry’s body is responding better than ever. His hunger is unmistakable. Every session builds towards the Oceania Championships in Devonport, the race where he hopes to remind everyone that he’s still a force to be reckoned with.
Racing in front of a home-state crowd adds an extra layer of meaning. His family will be on course, something that means more to him since moving away. “I cherish seeing Mum, Dad and my Pop,” he says. “Even just calling them means a lot.”
Ask Woodberry what a successful race looks like, and he doesn’t hesitate. “A good race for me is the top step of the podium,” he says plainly. “People might doubt me after the injury, but I believe it’s possible.”
Beyond Devonport, he dreams big of the LA 2028 Olympics, and ultimately, gold in Brisbane 2032. “That’s been my goal ever since I can remember,” he says. “I’d love to make that a reality.”
For now, though, the focus is Devonport. A homecoming. A reset. A proving ground.
And if the fire driving him is anything to go by, Jack Woodberry isn’t just returning to racing, he’s ready to make a statement.
