As Speed and Conditioning Coach for the St George Illawarra Dragons, Kelly Penfold spends her work hours building some of the toughest athletes in the country.
But in her spare time? She’s pushes herself just as hard – swapping footy boots for super shoes, chasing down her own goals on the triathlon course.
Whether she’s coaching or competing, Penfold’s all in – and says the two roles feed off each other more than you’d think – even when rallying rugby league players to try triathlon for themselves.
“You spend the workday in a persona of trying to get the most out of them,” she says.
“At the same time, it’s probably the reason I drive myself so hard.
“I’ve spoken to them in the offseason about trying to get a few teams together for a local race. They’re actually pretty keen – most of them don’t want to do the swim part,” Penfold laughed.
“But I reckon we can rustle up a couple. Shane (Flanagan), the coach, did triathlons back in the day, so I think we’ll get the staff on board too.
“I try to see what else I can add for the team sport guys. Put the boys through their paces – get them on the bike and get them in the water.
“I put a lot of stuff to team sport athletes that is based around endurance experience and my own training. There’s also times I’ll do something in my training because it’s something I’ve done with the boys.
This Sunday, Penfold will be racing the Australian Standard Championships in Wollongong, where she’ll not only be vying for a national title but also aiming to secure her spot on the Australian team for the World Triathlon Age Group Championships in October, back in the same spot.
Athletes who place in the top five of their respective age group categories at the Australian Standard Championships, and meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the selection policy will be given automatic qualification.
The Red Dog Triathlon Club member has raced on the Australia Age Group Team before, first in Chicago in 2015 and then on the Gold Coast in 2018.
When it comes to racing on her home turf, she says the energy from a local crowd makes it an entirely different experience.
“I’ve thrown the green and gold for a few other World Championships,” Penfold said.
“But when you’re on a home track and have all the home support – you’ll be running along the road and basically every second person is cheering for you because you’re wearing the green and gold – it’s just unreal.”
“Everyone is talking about doing the same races, they’re talking about doing the same qualifiers – it just creates this whole buzz. Its really special.
“You hear the chat across the different clubs.
“I can’t wait, I reckon the vibe down there is going to be so good in October. Getting some training in here and seeing a couple of events run on that stage – it’s going to be an awesome atmosphere.”
To view the 2025 Australian Age Group Triathlon Team selection policy, click here.
To learn more about the Australian Championships, click here.
