When Wurundjeri woman Olive Snell takes on IRONMAN Cairns on Sunday, she will be racing for more than herself. She’s representing her community, her culture, and the growing movement of females showing they belong in endurance sport.
It wasn’t that long ago she saw IRONMAN as something “for other people”, but watching Nadine Hunt, a proud Kaantju and Iamalaig woman, become the first First Nations female to compete at the World Championships in Kona flipped that narrative completely.
“In my head I thought; IRONMAN? That’s for men. Men can do that. I just didn’t think I had the capacity to do that,” Snell said.
“IRONMAN did a video on Nadine at Kona. I saw it while I was contemplating the idea of doing a half-IRONMAN.
“Seeing her complete it and talk about her experience training as a mother and someone who works and studies full time, seeing how hard she worked and how proud she was – I was inspired by her.
“In my head I thought: if she could do that at Kona given all of her circumstances, surely I can do a half. It was definitely inspiring and gave me the confidence to back myself in. If I hadn’t seen Nadine doing Kona, I don’t think I would have ever made the leap.”
What started as a tentative step soon turned into a full sprint – with less than three months of training and minimal experience in the pool or on the bike, Snell took on IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong.
Training for that event became one of the most rewarding experiences of her life, and it was this passion and progress that inspired her to join the IRONMOB program – a 14-month triathlon journey established by TriMob to support First Nations athletes as they aim to complete their first IRONMAN.
Alongside Kirsty Nichols, Hayley Lister, and Crystal Stephens, Snell is one of four Indigenous women that took on the program and will line up for the 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride, and 42.2km run in Cairns.
“My first though was: Oh god, what did I get myself into,” Snell said.
“But also excitement, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“Being part of the program, I feel like I am representing First Nations people as a whole. Getting to wear Ambrose Killian’s design on the TriMob merch, that carries weight with it, being able to represent indigenous culture, my culture, on the racecourse.”
Since joining, Snell has been candidly sharing her journey to the start list on social media, from the triumphs to the tough days, offering an authentic look at what it really takes to chase her IRONMAN goal.
Her storytelling is driven by a desire to connect with others who are just starting out, to break down barriers, and to show that progress is possible even when the path seems challenging.
Much like Nadine Hunt inspired her to take that first leap, Snell hopes her openness will motivate others to believe in their own potential and step into the sport with confidence.
“I wanted to post my journey from the starting point. Seeing someone start their journey is a very relatable thing,” Snell said.
“I have people reach out to me all the time with questions. Having approachable figures and people you see as equal gives you the confidence to do hard things.
“There were a lot of times I got some not-so-nice comments and I thought to stop posting and just deleting my profile. I would always think back to the messages from people saying: ‘you inspired me to start running, I love it now because of you, I just signed up to a race’. It really puts it into perspective. I’m impacting more people positively than the people impacting me negatively.
“When people reach out and ask for advise it makes me feel good that people feel comfortable to approach me and ask questions. I don’t know much, I make it very clear I have no knowledge other than my own experiences. But that’s the whole reason I started posting, to build a community of people who we’re just starting and didn’t have place to go to find the answers.”
As race day approaches, Snell’s mindset is focused and purposeful, looking beyond just finishing the race. For her, this event is about representing her community and culture.
She expects the race will be tough, but that only makes the opportunity to inspire others even more meaningful.
“Success looks like crossing the finish line with a smile on my face,” Snell said
“I know I wont be smiling the whole time, I’ll be in a lot of pain for most of it.
“Success is going out there, representing myself, my culture, the athletes who are women, and getting through the hard moments. At the end of the day, I want to prove to myself that I can do it.”
COUCH Charity Fun Run and Women For Tri Breakfast:
Start your IRONMAN Cairns weekend with a morning that celebrates the strength, spirit, and stories of women in triathlon.
Olive Snell will take the stage as a guest speaker at the Women For Tri Breakfast, sharing her journey through sport, media, and motherhood.
Friday 13 June:
Fun Run – 7:35am, Cairns Esplanade – https://bit.ly/CairnsWFTRun
Breakfast – 8:00–10:00am, The Chambers – https://bit.ly/CairnsWFT
*Panel starts from 8:45am
Attendance is free but places are limited, so be sure to secure your spot by registering.
