Elite Profiles - Female
Andrea Hewitt
Andrea emerged on to the international scene in 2005 when winning the U23 World Championship in Gamagori Japan. Her debut season on the elite World Cup circuit in 2006 saw her finish as the 9th ranked athlete in the world and pick up a bronze at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, out sprinting compatriot Debbie Tanner to grab a medal. Her achievements saw her named as BG International Rookie of the Year. 2007 saw Hewitt confirm her place amongst the world’s elite when winning an ITU World Cup for the first time in Kitzbuhel Austria and consistently racing at the front of BG World Cup’s and major championships. Hewitt finished a hugely creditable 8th at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and has continued that form in 2009 with a year end ranking of 3 in the world after a hugely consistent season that included victory at the Madrid round of the ITU Dextro Energy World Championship Series. In 2010, Hewitt had another stellar season, featuring on the podium in multiple WCS races, culminating with an overall 6th place finish.
Date of Birth: 4 April 1982
Nickname: Ange
Height: 1.60 metres
Shoe Size: 7.5 US
Pastimes / Hobbies: Travelling, jewelry making, puzzles, bodysurfing
Favourite Food: Oranges
Favourite Movie: Pride and Prejudice
Most Infuential person: Dr John Hellemans
Website: www.andreahewitt.com
Debbie Tanner
Debbie Tanner has been consistently performing internationally over the last five years. Competing at the Olympics in Beijing 2008 for the first time, and achieving a 10th place reinforced her ambition of striving to be the best triathlete in the world and for an Olympic Gold medal in London 2012. Debbie has a long history of success starting out in triathlons at the age of 11 in the Weetbix Tryathlon, she has proven her tenacity breaking onto the international scene in 2006 with a fourth placing at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, winning and making podiums at World Cup events. There can be no off days now... be on, or your out, on race day.
Date of Birth: 8th October, 1982
Nickname: Debs/DB
Height: 163 cm
Shoe Size: US 7
Pastimes/Hobbies: Relaxing watching movies at home with my fiancé and spending time out on the boat
Favourite Food: Chocolate and fresh fruit
Most Influential person: Pete Pfitzinger
Website: www.debbietanner.co.nz
Nicky Samuels
Nicky came from representing Otago in the National Womens Hockey League to trying her first triathlon in 2003. Sam Warriner was her school teacher in her last two years at Whagarei Girls High School. Each summer Nicky returned to Whangarei to work at the Aquatic Centre during the university holidays and Sam finally "bullied” her into the pool as a training partner a couple of times a week and a few months later she did her first Olympic Distance triathlon in Queenstown. This race doubled as the national champs and Nicky completely surprised herself and many others by being placed third and automatically qualifying her for the World Triathlon Championships in December 2003 on the same course. That year she mainly focussing on her first sport of hockey and with study and the typical university lifestyle there wasn’t much time for structured training. However, she entered the race because it was in Queenstown-close to home, and raced with the sole goal of not to come last. She was placed second but didn’t believe it until the official results were posted out. Things changed a little after that race and half way through 2004 she decided to get a coach. John Hellemans was suggested, and that’s where it started. One and a half years later, she graduated with a double degree from Otago University, and left to race for a French Grand Prix team, all expenses paid. This was her ticket to starting an international triathlon career leaving her friends, family and a massive student loan behind in NZ she took off to France. There has been no looking back from here. As a reserve for the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, and the reserve for the Beijing Olympics team, she wants to break through this year and qualify for the London Olympics.
Date of Birth: 28th February, 1983
Height: 170cm
Shoe Size: EU 40
Pastimes/Hobbies: Beach with waves, cooking, reading
Favourite Food: Feijoas
Website: www.nickysamuels.com
Kate McIlroy
Kate made the switch from running to triathlon at the end of 2007. She then had a frustrating year with an ongoing injury, forcing her to withdraw from a European track season and the Beijng Olympics (qualified 3km Steeplechase). She could hardly run, so threw her frustration into swimming and biking. She joined a triathlon swim squad and started swimming twice a week, and the rest is history! She raced the New Zealand summer 08/09 and had some good results, enough to give her confidence to pursue this new career change further. In April 2009 Kate was selected into the 2012 Potential Olympic Squad.
Date of Birth: August 26, 1981
Nickname: KFM, Burger, KMac, Macca
Height: 173cm
Shoe Size: 9.5 US
Pastimes/Hobbies: Drinking coffee, couch time, hanging out with Johnny and Bella (dog), going out!
Favourite Food: Too many favourites but could not live without bananas, yoghurt and coffee
Favourite Movie: Dirty dancing
Most Influential person: Paula Radcliffe, for fighting back from her numerous set backs and she loves compression socks as much as me.
Website: www.katemcilroy.com
Rebecca Kingsford
Rebecca has been a triathlete for more than five years, attending three world championships. She is from a running background before transitioning into triathlon. She began at secondary school level and has progressed from there. Rebecca enjoys travelling to various training camps and races with her focus on training harder and improving results.
Date of Birth: November 8, 1990
Nickname: Wabbit or Tiwau
Height: 1.65m
Shoe Size: 9
Pastimes/Hobbies: Most sports, helping on the farm
Favourite Food: Watermelon, ice cream, cereal
Favourite Movie: Anything that’s funny
Most Influential person: Stephen Sheldrake (tri coach), Sheryl McLay (swim coach) and my family
Joanna Lawn
Wellington born, Auckland raised, Jo has taken a roundabout route to the top of triathlon racing. She played every sport ever invented during high school. Joanna was a member of the New Zealand cycling team for the Commonwealth Games in 1998. For the past four years she has been improving from a fourth placed in her first attempt at the distance to winning Ironman New Zealand for the past seven years. She had the course record of 9:16, which earlier in 2010 she broke her own record and now it stands at 9:14. In 2007 she finished fourth in the world championship held in Kona, Hawaii totalling her with six top tens at this event. Even though Jo has a great fear of the ocean and still does, she has to overcome challenges each and everyday to combat this. Jo is world reknown for her digging ability, and being able to go past and beyond any kind of pain and hurt threshold......people say "she is one tough cookie." Joanna and her husband Armando Galarraga from Caracas Venezuela, live in the heart of Auckland City
Date of Birth: 29 December 1973
Nickname: Freckles or Jobells
Height: 172cm
Shoe Size: 9
Pastimes/Hobbies: Shopping, hanging with friends
Favourite Food: Licorice allsorts...if that is considered a food....if not then sushi
Favourite Movie: Talladega lights
Most Influential person: Armando
Website: www.joannalawn.com
Teresa Adam
I started my career playing water polo for NZ age group teams, with the highlight of my water polo career being games for the NZ Women’s team against Australia. I loved the training in water polo and the feeling of being fit and healthy, and when we started to do run training for water polo, it seemed to be a natural progression into triathlon. The challenge of three sports in one event suits me and I became hooked very quickly! My goals are to compete at Commonwealth and Olympic level and of course to win gold. I also know that it is important to be having fun – there’s not much point having triathlon as a job if I don’t enjoy it! I am very grateful for all the help that I have received from all sorts of people – coaches, medical staff, support staff, friends and family. I hope I can reward everyone by having a successful career. My highlights in triathlon so far would have to be travelling overseas and competing well at the international level and learning to jump onto my bike without falling off. I think I have also learned many organisational skills and a lot about nutrition and training. I hope I will be competing for many years to come!
Date of Birth: 3rd March, 1990
Nickname: Tee or T-Rex
Height: 164cm
Shoe Size: Racing – 7 Training – 8
Pastimes/Hobbies: Eating, cooking, sleeping, reading, lying in the sun
Favourite Food: Ice cream
Favourite Movie: Anything with Bruce Willis, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Robert Downey Jr.....
Most Influential person: Mum
Website: http://www.teresaadam.com/
