Online training and racing platform, Zwift, has confirmed the eight team members of this year’s Specialized Zwift Academy Tri Team. The age group athletes have been selected to ‘train and compete with the best supported amateur triathlon team in the world’.
Created in 2016, the Zwift Academy program strives to elevate undiscovered athletic talent using Zwift’s virtual training environment. In partnership with Canyon//SRAM Racing and Team Dimension Data, the California based start-up has, to date, placed five cyclists in the pro cycling peloton.
The Specialized Zwift Academy Tri Team launched in 2018 with a team of four triathletes who had their eyes firmly set on the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona. Zwift notes that ‘Bex Rimmington, in her first year of IRONMAN racing, and Golo Röhrken both left everything on the island with truly inspiring efforts.’
Taking everyday Zwift athletes, the Specialized Zwift Academy Tri Team returns in 2019 with a larger team and with the same aim: to provide world-class equipment, mentoring, and support to allow its athletes to realize their dreams at the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona.
The 2019 Specialized Zwift Academy Tri Team roster is:
- Justin Lippert, 26 – Middletown, New Jersey USA
- Levi Hauwert, 32 – Melbourne, Australia
- Maggie Walsh, 36 – Littleton, Colorado, USA
- Natia van Heerden, 28 – Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, ZA
- Paul Lunn, 46 – Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK
- Philipp Herber, 29 – Cologne, Germany
- Ruth Purbrook, 29 – London, UK
- Yvonne Timewell, 51 – Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
“As a full time student, without this opportunity, I simply could not afford to try to compete at Kona in 2019,” said 2019 Specialized Zwift Academy Tri Team member Justin Lippert. “I only started triathlon in 2016, but I’ve enjoyed pretty good success since. My Kona story is going to be a journey into the unknown, but my ambition is to be first placed overall amateur there. I can’t think of a better opportunity than being with this team.”
“What I love about the team this year is the diversity,” added Eric Min, Zwift CEO and Co-Founder. “We have a talented university student, a 46 year old grandfather to two grandchildren and everything in between. I think this year we will see some inspiring stories that any one of us could relate to as fans of the sport.”
“The road to Kona is a hard one for any athlete,” said Mark Cote, Head of Global Marketing and Innovation at Specialized. “We want to celebrate and support aspiring athletes with the best support in the sport. For the second year, we’ll give pro level support including Retul Fit, Win Tunnel optimization, and our fastest product including the all-new Shiv Disc. We’re excited to help this team reach their ultimate potential.”
In addition to Zwift and Specialized, the following performance brands have come on board to support the 2019 team:
- Wahoo Fitness is providing its entire KICKR indoor training ecosystem to each of the athletes, as well as ELEMNT BOLT GPS computers and TICKR heart rate monitors.
- Science in Sport, new to the team in 2019, will be providing its entire array of sport nutrition products together with ‘advice from world-class nutritionists’.
- Roka, providing custom designed Elite Aero Tri Suits as well as its top of the line goggles, wetsuits, speedsuits and Ultralight Performance line of sunglasses.
Specialized Zwift Academy Tri Team members will be hosting group rides and runs on Zwift between now and the IRONMAN Championships in Kona in October, including a focused training series later in the summer. The team will be posting updates on their journey to Kona via @gozwifttri and their own personal social accounts through the next several months as well.
