TRIATHLON? WHAT A BREESE!
Article by Olivia Grace Curran, NSW Triathlon and Newcastle Triathlon Club Member
The old-school sportsman’s interest in triathlon sparked while watching a telecast of the Triple M Iron Distance Triathlon in 1984. “I was absolutely amazed at the people doing it … I thought ‘wow’, that’s something I want to do one day.”
In 1994, a wife and young family later, Geoff’s interest in triathlon was sparked again when he joined Wagga Road Runners. “I did a 10km run, it just about killed me.” There were a couple of other triathletes in the group that helped with the motivation.
It was back in the days prior to the Internet so you had to complete a ‘hard copy’ entry form. You didn’t have to qualify for the event but on the back of the form it asked you to put the details of another triathlon that you’d done – just to prove that you knew what you were doing.
In preparation for the 1995 Forster Ironman, Geoff entered his first ever triathlon, the sprint distance Richie Walker Triathlon at Kurnell.
It was in April 1995 Geoff became an Ironman, crossing the finish line in 10 hours and 38 minutes.
Geoff later pursued competitive cycling, however a bad cycling accident in 2003 led him to re-introduce swimming and jogging as part of his rehabilitation. A short time later, he was back into triathlon and travelling around the globe representing Australia at World Championship events.“Over the years I kept saying I’m going to pull the pin – but it’s hard to give up,” he said.
After breaking the frame on his old Apollo racing bike (the bike he bought when he first got into the sport) he bought an old second-hand bike for $300. He was about to go overseas to compete in the World Duathlon Champs in Edinburgh and World Triathlon Championships in Budapest and he thought the money was much better spent on a holiday with his wife and number one supporter Cathy than on a push bike. The bike served him well and he loved proving that the results are more about the motor than the bike by making it onto the Australian Championships podium in Sprint, Standard and Long Course Triathlon as well as coming 9th in his age group at the World Sprint Triathlon Championships in Beijing in 2011. “Ninth in the world on a $300 push bike,” Geoff laughed.
But it was the loss of a good friend in 2012 that inspired Geoff to push harder in triathlon.
In the years that followed, Geoff spent his time trail running and competing in multi-sport events.
While undergoing treatment in 2020, Geoff set the goal of qualifying for Multisport World Championships in Townsville in 2022. Doctors had told Geoff exercise was important in maintaining health during recovery. “I was having seven weeks of radiation in Melbourne when they announced World Champs in Townsville – I thought that was a good goal.”
However, when Geoff returned home to Wagga, he was told that the radiation hadn’t got all the cancer. That’s when his training ramped up.
The 2022 Multisport World Championships in Townsville were postponed due to Covid, however Geoff went on to win his age group at the Australian Aquabike Championships in Huskisson in 2022 and 2023.
By 2024, it was looking like Geoff was in the clear, but testing months out from Multisport World Championships began showing small positive markers for prostate cancer.
Although his latest tests show that his cancer isn’t completely gone, his doctor and specialist both agree that the result is as good as could be expected. “Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful” Geoff quoted.
Consistency is everything. The 60-year-old swam 1km, ran 5km and cycled 10km for every day of 2023 and 2024. In 2025, Geoff will attempt to do the same. “Bite off more than you can chew … and chew like hell.”