Meet Hannah Pace, the 25-year-old triathlete who absolutely slayed last weekend’s Ironman in Dubai. Hannah swam for 1.9km, biked for 90km and ran for 21km. I’m out of breath just writing about it! She completed the race in 4 hours, 49 minutes and 44 seconds, was ranked 2^nd place out of 36 in her category, 20^th place out of 356 by gender and 324^th place overall out of a total of 2,026 participants. Damn gurl!

Hannah’s roots

Speaking to us, Hannah delves into her journey of becoming an athlete and a triathlete, and her incredible experience abroad. “Sport has always been a part of my life,” she begins, explaining that her mother, Jenny, is an ex-swimmer (and a very fast one too!). “I am actually a long-distance runner turned triathlete, which is ironic considering that running is now probably my weakest discipline of the three!”

Hannah says she decided to try her hand (or maybe ‘legs’ is more appropriate), at triathlon races since she was a good runner, and her mum saw to it that she'd be a good swimmer, which meant that all she had to do was master the bike.

The Dubai 70.3 Ironman

Asked why she decided to apply for the Dubai Ironman, Hannah explains, “last August I took on my first full distance Ironman in Copenhagen, and even though I placed really well and broke the national record, I felt that the distance was too much for me.” Hannah explains that she prefers half Ironmans, like this one in Dubai, which she describes as manageable and the training “doable.” “It doesn’t require the long hours that a full distance does so you can still have a life outside of the sport. Apart from that, I am getting married in April, so I was looking for a race early in the year to be able to focus on it fully prior to turning my attention towards the wedding.

Hannah explains that after competing in various triathlons and world championships, she knew what to expect from this race. However, “each race has its own story and being so early on in the season meant that I wasn’t up to my usual race fitness, which meant I struggled quite a bit more than usual. The heat didn’t help either! In fact, the running portion, which is usually where I am able to gain quite a few places, turned into a mental battle to just keep going. Having said that, swimming in the sea with the Burj Khalifa in the background and cycling through the desert is definitely an experience I will cherish for life.” And we can only imagine what that was like!

Her support system

Asked about her greatest inspiration, Hannah immediately mentions her mother. “She’s my number one fan and has supported me 100 per cent throughout my years in sport. When she isn’t able to travel with me, she follows me on the live tracker, meaning she’s glued to her phone for around 10 hours!” She also mentions her fiancé, who makes it a point to be at her races and cheer her on. “I am lucky to have an extremely supportive family who always have my back, and I am honestly the athlete I am today because of them.”

Hannah’s message to up-and-coming athletes

“Long-distance racing has taught me that the mind is extremely powerful. If you believe that something is achievable, then you are already three quarters of the way there. Apart from setting goals, another thing I advise is to accept that the road is never plain sailing and there will be bumps along the way. What’s important is that you never give up, and always trust the process. Things usually end up working out in the end.” You heard the girl!

Keep slaying, Hannah!