She was at her limit at times during the race and drained afterwards, but Bathurst’s Hollee Simons still had enough energy to smile after finishing Saturday’s women’s long-course event at the Central West Inter-Club Triathlon Series.
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Mainly because she won.
Simons only took up triathlon earlier this year, making her debut when third at the Mudgee’s round, and since then has continued to improve and impressed again at her home track on Australia Day.
It was an effort which gave her the nod ahead of Orange duo Jess Richards (1.02.10) and Estelle Dean (1.02.18).
“It was my first Inter-Club win, so yeah, I’m very happy,” Simons said.
“This is definitely the hottest day yet, I expected it because it’s Australia Day, it wouldn’t be Australia Day if it wasn’t scorching hot. But it definitely made it tough.
“It’s definitely a really hard format, especially getting in the pool after running, you’re all out of breath and you have to hold your breath – so it’s different.”
It was Orange’s Jessie Dean who set the early pace alongside Simons, the pair clocking identical splits of 11.01 for the first run leg.
Though Dean was the first out of the water, Simons’ strength on the bike came to the fore as she surged to the lead.
Still, after covering the 16km in 25.36 it was not job done for Simons.
The experienced Richards, who has found success at Bathurst in the past, was in hot pursuit as she posted the quickest cycle leg (25.22) and was eight seconds faster in the second swim than Simons.
But the Bathurst Wallabies Triathlon Club member lifted in the final 2.5km to post her maiden win in the Inter-Club series.
“I was pretty lucky on the bike, I was able to catch [Jessie Dean] pretty quickly, but she gave it to me in the run and the swim, that’s for sure,” Simons said.
“I was on the limit staying with her in the run, but I was happy to get into the pool with her.
“It wasn’t that comfortable at all [in the final run] … I didn’t have much left in me, but I was happy to just be able to trundle along and bring it home. Thank goodness it was only one lap because I wasn’t going back out there to do another.
“I was looking over my shoulder and they seemed to be inching closer.”
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