Durban North resident shines at SA Triathlon Champs

IN a short space of time, Durban North resident, Jessica Hayes-Hill, has made her mark in the sport of triathlon.

The 28-year-old, who only took part in her first event at the beginning of this year, has been training under former SA triathlon champ, Glen Gore, and his Tri-Lab team.

In January, she took on the Alley Roads Tri series, which also doubled as the KZN Champs, in the sprint category.
In her age category (25–29), Hayes-Hill placed first, ensuring her selection for the SA Sprints Triathlon Champs in Maselspoort near Bloemfontein.

At the nationals, Hayes-Hill finished second in her age group and qualified for the SA Triathlon Champs in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).

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Compared to the sprint champs, these champs saw competitors take on the Olympic distance, and again, the local resident performed admirably, finishing third in her age group.

“Incredibly, this all started because I entered the Ironman 70.3 (also known as Half Ironman) in 2020. Sadly, the race was postponed to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A year on, and the race was again postponed to this year, which meant my entry was deferred once again. Knowing this was my last chance to enter, I began looking for triathlon clubs and came across coach Glen (Gore).

“I had only been training with the squad for about one week when I competed at the Alley Roads Tri series event. What followed with my results at the two SA champs really surprised me. It was just a shock because going into this, I had no idea what level other athletes would be at and where I would finish,” she explained.

“The results have motivated me to train and work harder for the upcoming Ironman 70.3 in October this year. This journey in triathlons has been one of the biggest learning curves for me. It really has been about consistently training and meeting my goals. For the SA Champs in Gqeberha, my goal was to beat my set times, which I did, and then ended up finishing third,” she said.

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Hayes-Hill also praised her coach for his role in her achievements.

“Quite honestly, if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Mentally, I’ve always been tough, but he has helped me take my mindset to another level. During training, he always says ‘It’s not about training for a specific race; it’s about training to be ready’, and that has really spoken to me.

“The distances of a Half Ironman and Triathlon can be daunting, but you just have to prepare and trust in your abilities,” she said.

Hayes-Hill, who has represented the country in synchronised swimming, is also hoping to enter the Durban Ultra in August this year, in preparation for her main goal, the Half Ironman.