Budapest beckons for triathlete

Waikato University student Maddy Brunton will represent New Zealand at the Junior World Triathlon Championships in Budapest later this year.

Brunton, 18, is one of six in the Under 19 triathlon team competing in the championships. “The World Championships is something that I have been working two years towards. I was relieved to hear that I qualified,” she says.

Brunton is studying part time towards a Bachelor of Science degree and has a Sir Edmund Hillary scholarship to help her achieve her goals.

Her intense triathlon training regime involves getting up at 5.30am and training two to three times daily.

“So it works out to be about 20 to 25 hours of training a week. I don’t mind getting up early every day because I just really enjoy the sport. There are different aspects to it which make it interesting and fun to train for. If I don’t like swimming I can switch to running and vice versa.”

Although Brunton isn’t the youngest in the New Zealand World Championships team, she is still a young athlete in the sport. “In the scope of things I am considered to be quite young because my age group is the youngest you can compete in at this level,” she says.

The championships are also a big stepping stone for Brunton's sporting career. “It is a pretty prestigious event and it is quite important for me at this stage. It is the biggest event that I will be competing in so far.”
To get to the world championships, Brunton had to qualify in two selection races this year – the Canberra ITU Triathlon Oceania Qualifier, and the Wellington ITU Triathlon Oceania Cup.

The Junior World Triathlon Championships in September are a Sprint Distance Triathlon which includes a 750m swim, 20km bike ride, and a 5km run. Brunton also competes in Standard Distance Triathlons (double the distance of Sprint Distance Triathlons).

“In the holidays I will also be training with Dean Kent who is a New Zealand Olympic swimmer and right before the championships in September I will be training in Switzerland.”

Brunton is sponsored by Orca and Velo Sport, but also has a website called Give a Little where people can donate money to support her. “My friends in the sport are great and they give me money on my website when I am fundraising for trips.” She is also grateful for the backing of her parents, her coach Mark Watson, and the Te Awamutu Cycling Club.

She also acknowledges the support from Greg O’Carroll, the High Performance Student Manager for the Hillary Programme. “He helps me to manage my training and study because science can take up a lot of time, and so does training. He is really flexible and understands that my training is important to me,” says the former Waikato Diocesan School for Girls student.

Brunton says she sees triathlons and study as part of her life for some time yet. “I’m thinking of doing a postgraduate diploma in teaching and teach chemistry which is something that I enjoy. Aside from that I cannot see my life without this sport.”