ADF triathletes caught a convenient current to beat the heat and their competitors at the Batemans Bay Triathlon on February 7.

Twelve members of the ADF Triathlon Association competed in the standard- and sprint-distance races, with five achieving podium finishes.

Group Captain Teresa Wynter said the weather made it a challenging race, “with the temperature as hot as the surface of the sun”. 

She finished first in the women’s 50-54 division, the third-fastest woman and 26th overall in the sprint distance out of more than 250 triathletes.

“I've been doing this for so long I run on autopilot now. Even if I have a rubbish race, I'm always happy because I get out there and it's something I love doing,” she said.

“But it’s nice to see a 53-year-old woman be able to tidy up a few people, even the 15- to 16-year-olds.”

With 35 years of triathlons under her belt representing the ADF, she encouraged others to get involved because of the welcoming community and personal challenge each race provides.

“The beauty of triathlons is everyone covers the same distance, regardless of age, size, speed or experience. What a great way to stay fit and ultimately happy with everything else going on in our lives,” she said.

While Group Captain Wynter continues to compete for the community and to introduce new people to the sport, others like Major Mick Evans used the race to track progress for loftier goals.

He started running triathlons to prepare for a half ironman in 2025 and continued with the aim of completing a full ironman later this year.

Major Evans finished fifth in the standard-distance men’s 35-39 age group and was satisfied with his best performance since he started training, though he credits the current for some help.

“The swim is about survival. I'm comfortable with the ride, but the run is by far where I'm most comfortable,” Major Evans said.

“Fortunately, there was a pretty impressive current, which made my swim time look far more attractive than what it actually was, but I'll take it.”

A highlight was having his family cheering him on for the first time, which made the personal best performance even better. 

“It was also nice to see a solid ADF turnout, especially when you're on course to have the uniform go flying past, everyone throwing out a hand for a high five as you go,” he said.

'The beauty of triathlons is everyone covers the same distance, regardless of age, size, speed or experience.'

A newer member of the association and taking part was Midshipman Oliver Otevrel, competing in his first triathlon after training for more than a year. 

First out of the water and third into the run, he finished second in the sprint distance 20-24 age group, which he said was a surprise.

“I was expecting to get smoked the whole time, so I was really pleased with that,” he said.

“I thought it was a fun course. It was awesome to run around and see everyone else in the ADF tri-suits. Overall, I really enjoyed it.”

He said the club helped maintain his involvement in the sport, with the Huskisson Triathlon and a half ironman planned for the future. 

“It's just perfect. It’s a good group of people and once you get some mates around you it's pretty easy to keep going,” he said. 

To get involved with the ADF Triathlon Association, email defence.triathlon@defence.gov.au.