To celebrate International Women’s Day, World Triathlon is proud to recognise some of the incredible women who shape and strengthen our sport around the world.
Across this special series, we highlight women who embody the spirit of this year’s theme: Give to Gain. Through their leadership, mentorship and commitment to the global triathlon community, these women demonstrate that when we give our time, knowledge and support, we create opportunities for others to grow and thrive.
Because when we give, we gain. Together, we can help forge gender equality through abundant giving.
In this feature, we speak with Belinda Granger, one of triathlon’s most respected voices and personalities. A former professional athlete with a career spanning decades, Belinda continues to contribute to the sport through commentary, mentorship and her unwavering support for athletes across the triathlon community.
You’ve achieved so much as an athlete, but you’ve also continued to give back to the sport through commentary and supporting athletes behind the scenes. What has kept you so passionate about staying involved in triathlon?
I get asked this question a lot and my response, in the most simplistic of terms, is that I absolutely love the sport of triathlon.
This sport has given me everything, my husband, my friends, the opportunity to travel to places I would never have otherwise visited and experiences that helped shape me into the person I am today. I have been involved in triathlon since I was 21 years old, that’s 35 years.
I truly love it as much now, maybe even more if that’s possible, than when I first started.
Of course, my “what” and “why” have evolved. Now I want to see triathlon continue to grow and become a mainstream sport. I want to support professional athletes and help them succeed in the sport that has given me so much.
I also get to witness every day the positive impact triathlon has on both professional and age-group athletes, especially women. Watching the number of women participating in our sport continue to grow puts a huge smile on my face.
For example, this weekend at IRONMAN 70.3 Taupō, an incredible 43% of participants are women, the highest percentage ever for a race over this distance. That is huge.
You’re known for being generous with your advice and time for athletes. Why is it important to you to share that experience with others coming through the sport?
Advice and time are two things I can give that cost me nothing but can mean so much to the person receiving them.
It’s an honour for me to share the experiences I’ve had in the sport with others. If I’m able to give advice that helps the next generation reach the next level, that makes me incredibly happy.
When I started out as a professional athlete, I received so much help and guidance from others in the sport. From that moment on, I promised myself that when the time came, I would return the favour by passing on what I had learned.
Throughout the sport I’m known as the “mother hen”, and I’m extremely proud of that nickname. I want athletes to know they can always come to me, whether it’s for advice, to bounce around an idea, or simply to have someone listen.
And during the tough moments, I’ll always be there too… even if it’s just for a good old-fashioned hug.
The theme for International Women’s Day this year is “Give to Gain.” When you look back at your journey in triathlon, how have you seen that idea play out in your own career?
Absolutely and I truly believe triathlon is renowned for this.
It’s one of the reasons I continue to give back to the sport. When I look back at my racing career, I remember the incredible support and encouragement I received, often from the very athletes I was competing against.
I couldn’t imagine not paying that forward.
Right now, triathlon is booming. When I started racing, the first male athlete had only just broken the eight-hour barrier in an IRONMAN. Now we’re talking about the possibility of the first female athlete breaking eight hours, which simply blows my mind.
It shows not only how far our sport has come, but how far women in our sport have come.
What do you enjoy most now about helping tell the stories of the sport and supporting athletes from the other side of the race course?
I truly believe our heritage is incredibly important. Everyone in the sport should know where we began and where we are heading.
Nothing makes me happier than sitting around the dinner table with friends and young athletes, sharing stories about the legends who shaped this sport and paved the way for the next generation.
There are so many incredible women we have to thank, women who proved time and time again that there is no such thing as “impossible”, women who raised the bar and ignored the naysayers.
Our sport continues to evolve, providing equal opportunities through equal prize money, equal qualifying slots and equal broadcast coverage. Is it perfect? Not yet. But we’re absolutely moving in the right direction.
I loved my time as a professional athlete and have memories that will last a lifetime. But today I get just as much joy watching others achieve their dreams.
People often ask me if I miss racing. My answer is simple: not at all. I now get to live vicariously through the athletes I work with every day.
The happiness I feel when an athlete crosses the finish line having achieved everything they hoped for is the same happiness I felt when it was me crossing that finish line.
This International Women’s Day, World Triathlon celebrates the women who continue to shape our sport through leadership, mentorship and action. Because when one woman gives, the entire community gains.
Across this series, led by World Triathlon and the World Triathlon Women’s Committee, we celebrate the women whose contributions continue to shape a more inclusive, supportive and equitable future for triathlon worldwide.
