Tri Beginner‘s Luck

Called to Serve, Built to Race | Michelle Christine on National Security, Team USA, and the Discipline Behind It All

What if the most decorated athlete you've ever seen race was doing it on stolen hours, powered by discipline she didn't know she had until the military turned it on? That's exactly the kind of story that stops you mid-scroll and reminds you why this sport is for everyone.

Michelle Christine is a competitive age-group triathlete, a Team USA athlete, and a USAT high school ambassador who balances two kids, a husband with an equally demanding career, and a role protecting the airspace of the nation's leaders as a Secret Service airspace security specialist. She came to this episode fresh off a clean sweep at Multisport Nationals, where she won all four individual events and the mixed team relay. Five starts. Five wins. And she still had notes on what she could do better.

In this conversation, she walks us through what nervous system fatigue actually feels like after back-to-back racing, how coaching changed everything for her, and why she believes problem-solvers thrive in triathlon. She also shares the moment a world podium in Hamburg made everything click, and the quiet magic of a family that runs on logistics, love, and the occasional burger.

If you've ever wondered what it looks like to build a full life and still chase excellence, this one is for you.

Join the Tri Beginner's Luck Community: Enjoyed this episode? The best way to support the show is to leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Follow us on Instagram: @TriBeginnersLuck Connect on Facebook: Tri Beginner's Luck Page Questions or Feedback? We want to hear your story! Send your questions to tblpodbiz@tribeginnersluck.com, and we may feature them on a future episode. Let's tri this!

From Marathon Chaos to First Triathlon | Beatriz Sampaio on Starting Scared and Racing Anyway

Some people count down the days to their birthday. Beatriz Sampaio counted down the laps. For her first triathlon, she chose the most meaningful finish line she could think of: race day on her birthday, surrounded by the people who showed up every step of the way.

What makes Beatriz's story so refreshing is her intention. Having gone from zero to marathon in four months years ago, she made a deliberate choice to do triathlon differently. No skipping steps. No sprinting to the big race. Just building with joy, learning with her family, and letting the process be the point. She trained in the pool with her mom, rode matching road bikes with her dad, and leaned on a local tri club to make community part of the journey from day one.

She also swam the entire open water leg with one eye shut, forgot she had to pee, and placed second in her age group without mentioning it until the very end of the interview. Classic beginner's luck.

Whether you're still on the fence or about to toe your first start line, Beatriz's story is a reminder that the messy, imperfect, exhilarating first time is a gift you can never get back. Cherish it.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Join the Tri Beginner's Luck Community: Enjoyed this episode? The best way to support the show is to leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Follow us on Instagram: @TriBeginnersLuck Connect on Facebook: Tri Beginner's Luck Page Questions or Feedback? We want to hear your story! Send your questions to tblpodbiz@tribeginnersluck.com, and we may feature them on a future episode.

Let's tri this!

46 Days After Surgery, He Ran a 10K | Scott Stanley on Cancer, Loss, and Ironman 70.3

Three weeks after writing a half-Ironman goal on his bathroom mirror, Scott Stanley got a cancer diagnosis. Forty-six days after colon surgery, he was at the starting line of a 10K.

What do you do when life hits hardest at the exact moment you decide to go bigger? For Scott Stanley, the answer was simple, if not easy: you keep showing up. A retired Air Force veteran, endurance athlete, and now a master's student in biblical studies, Scott's triathlon journey is inseparable from the losses that shaped it. He lost his late wife at 27 to a rare form of leukemia and his mother to cancer just three years later. When his own diagnosis came in 2014, he did not spiral. He channeled. And in July 2015, just two weeks before his 45th birthday, he crossed the finish line of his first Ironman 70.3 in Muncie, Indiana.

Scott also opens up about nearly four years of sobriety, the ministry school it made possible, and why he believes bringing a race mentality to your personal life might be the most important finish line of all. His advice for triathlon beginners is refreshingly unfiltered: sign up for something that scares you and trust that getting to the starting line is already the win.

This is not a polished story about someone who had it all figured out. It is an honest one about a man who kept going because the alternative was not living.

Join the Tri Beginner's Luck Community: Enjoyed this episode? The best way to support the show is to leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Follow us on Instagram: @TriBeginnersLuck. Connect on Facebook: Tri Beginner's Luck Page. Questions or Feedback? We want to hear your story! Send your questions to tblpodbiz@tribeginnersluck.com, and we may feature them on a future episode.

Let's tri this!

Still Racing, Still Growing | Leslie Knibb on 35 Years of Triathlon, Motherhood, and Never Stopping

A first triathlon. A breakup. A lifelong love story with endurance sports that nobody saw coming.

Before triathlon became one of the biggest endurance sports in the world, Leslie Knibb was standing on a start line in Chicago in 1990 just trying something new. She ended up finishing near the top of the race, beating the boyfriend who introduced her to the sport, and unknowingly starting a triathlon journey that would stretch across more than three decades.

In this special Mother's Day episode of Tri Beginner's Luck, Leslie reflects on the many versions of herself she has been through in triathlon: beginner, competitor, mother, coach, mentor, Ironman finisher and community builder. From racing through the Northeast triathlon scene to stepping away during motherhood and later returning to complete Ironman Lake Placid, Leslie shares what it looks like to evolve with the sport instead of walking away from it.

The conversation also explores the heart of triathlon culture and why so many people stay connected to it for life. Leslie opens up about coaching beginners, helping grow youth participation through USA Triathlon, supporting first-time athletes with the DC Tri Club, and watching her daughter Taylor Knibb rise to the highest levels of the sport.

Whether you are a triathlon beginner, training for your first sprint, or chasing your next Ironman 70.3, this episode is a reminder that the beginner mindset never leaves us. Sometimes the biggest win is simply staying connected to what lights you up.

 

Join the Tri Beginner's Luck Community: Enjoyed this episode? The best way to support the show is to leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Follow us on Instagram: @TriBeginnersLuck. Connect on Facebook: Tri Beginner's Luck Page. Questions or feedback? Send your questions to tblpodbiz@tribeginnersluck.com, and we may feature them on a future episode.

Let's tri this!

From “Non-Athlete” to Triathlon Coach: Hilary Topper on Redefining What an Athlete Looks Like

Hilary Topper didn't run until she was 48. She didn't know how to turn on a treadmill. Five years later, she signed up for her first triathlon in Florida without realizing there were races in her home state of New York.

Hilary is the voice behind The Triathlete's Diary, a certified USA Triathlon coach, and author of Unlocking the Triathlon: The Beginner's Guide to Competing in a Triathlon. She proudly calls herself a non-athletic triathlete and has built her coaching philosophy around meeting athletes exactly where they are. Her mantra is simple: consistency over intensity, community over competition, and showing up over being the fastest.

We talk about starting triathlon after 50, the power of finding your people when family doesn't understand, and why DNFs and DNSs don't define you. Hilary shares what it was like to train for a half Ironman five times and get injured every single time, why she keeps proving things to herself, and how the triathlon community became her family after losing her sister.

This conversation is for anyone who's ever felt like they don't look the part, started late, or wondered if they belong in this sport.

Join the Tri Beginner's Luck Community: Enjoyed this episode? The best way to support the show is to leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

Follow us on Instagram: @TriBeginnersLuck
Connect on Facebook: Tri Beginner's Luck Page
Questions or Feedback? We want to hear your story! Send your questions to tblpodbiz@tribeginnersluck.com, and we may feature them on a future episode.

Learn more about Hilary: Website: https://www.atriathletesdiary.com/  and Book: Unlocking the Triathlon: The Beginner's Guide to Competing in a Triathlon

Let's Tri this!

Start Small, Stay Forever | Liz Kollar on Building Community, Kona Dreams, and Beginner Mistakes

What does it mean to be a triathlete? For Liz Kollar, Director of Constituent Engagement at USA Triathlon, the answer is simple: you're a triathlete the moment you cross any finish line, whether it takes you an hour or sixteen.

 

Liz didn't start small. Her first race was a 70.3 at Buffalo Springs Lake, unprepared and miserable in the Texas heat. She crossed the finish line swearing she'd never do it again. Then she accidentally qualified for Ironman Florida at Panama City, thinking she'd won a trip to Central America. Three months later, she stood on a cold beach in November 2001, just weeks after 9/11, sobbing through the national anthem before completing her first full distance race. She was hooked.

 

Over 13 Ironman races and countless shorter distances, Liz became a two-time Kona qualifier, LA Tri Club community builder, and now a grassroots race director in the mountains of Colorado. But her proudest work might be the least flashy: answering the phone at USA Triathlon, walking nervous first-timers through their fears, and reminding them that the sport isn't about going long. It's about showing up, finding your people, and maybe grabbing brunch afterward.

 

This conversation is for anyone who thinks they need to do an Ironman to belong, anyone intimidated by the governing body acronyms, and anyone who just wants to understand what USA Triathlon actually does besides collect membership fees. Spoiler: it's a lot more than insurance.

 

Join the Tri Beginner's Luck Community: Enjoyed this episode? The best way to support the show is to leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!
Follow us on Instagram: @TriBeginnersLuck
Connect on Facebook: Tri Beginner's Luck Page

Questions or Feedback? We want to hear your story! Send your questions to tblpodbiz@tribeginnersluck.com, and we may feature them on a future episode.

Let's Tri this!

From PTSD to State Champion | Finding Purpose Through Endurance with Juanpablo Jimenez

What happens when you’re ready to quit the sport you once loved? And what if the answer isn’t more training, but more community?

Juan Pablo, known as "the People's Principal" in Plainfield, New Jersey, brings raw honesty to this conversation. He talks about the letter his family sent confronting him about buying bikes with rent money. He shares how cycling became his medicine after serving in the Navy and dealing with PTSD. And he explains the difference between a superhero and a villain in a way that will stop you in your tracks.

This episode covers the cost of triathlon, the balance between sport and family, why most endurance athletes are processing trauma, and what it means to train so others don't have to suffer the way you did. Juan Pablo completed sprint triathlons, XTERRA races, and two half Ironmans before injuries and financial realities brought him back to cycling full time. Now he races criteriums, hosts a Memorial Day weekend race around his school, and works with Coach David Lipscomb's CIS Collective to rebuild his foundation from the ground up.

Whether you're a beginner wondering if you can afford this sport or a veteran athlete struggling to find balance, this conversation will meet you where you are.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Join the Tri Beginner's Luck Community: Enjoyed this episode? The best way to support the show is to leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

• Follow us on Instagram: @TriBeginnersLuck
• Connect on Facebook: Tri Beginner's Luck Page

Questions or Feedback? We want to hear your story! Send your questions to tblpodbiz@tribeginnersluck.com, and we may feature them on a future episode.

Let's tri this!

"That'll Never Work" to Sold Out in Months | Angi Klick's She Tris Story

What happens when someone tells you your idea will never work, and you build it anyway? What does it look like to create a space where trying matters more than finishing first?

 

Angi Klick didn't just start a triathlon event. She built a movement. After years of trying to convince other race directors that women needed their own welcoming space in the sport, she decided to do it herself. In 2016, while nine months pregnant, she directed the first She Tris Triathlon in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. A local timer told her it would never work. The event sold out before race day.

 

Now, 10 years later, She Tris has become a haven for first-timers, a celebration for returners, and proof that when you lead with community over competition, something powerful happens. Angi talks about surviving those early moments, managing rheumatoid arthritis while training for an Ironman, and why she never calls her events "races." She shares what it means to champion confidence in women who aren't sure they belong yet, and why the finish line is really just the starting line for what comes next.

 

This conversation is for anyone who's ever been told no and decided to build it anyway. It's for the beginner who thinks they need permission to start. And it's a reminder that belonging doesn't come before you try. It comes because you start.

 

Join the Tri Beginner’s Luck Community:

Enjoyed this episode? The best way to support the show is to leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

• Follow us on Instagram: @TriBeginnersLuck
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Questions or Feedback? We want to hear your story! Send your questions to tblpodbiz@tribeginnersluck.com, and we may feature them on a future episode.

Let’s tri this!

Choosing Family Over Podiums | Chelsea Sodaro’s Ironman World Champion Journey

What does it look like to chase greatness without losing yourself along the way? How did Chelsea Sodaro win the Ironman World Championship just 18 months after giving birth?

 

In this episode, the triathlon world champion shares her powerful story of motherhood, mindset, and elite training, revealing what happens when choosing family first becomes the very thing that elevates you to the top of your sport. From early struggles with fear in open water to stepping away from competition at the height of her career, this conversation redefines what success can look like in endurance sports and reminds us that being a triathlon beginner at any stage requires courage, curiosity, and a willingness to start again.

 

Along the way, Chelsea opens up about what it really takes to grow in triathlon, from developing mental toughness in chaotic swim starts to embracing the long, quiet work behind every race. Her path is anything but linear, shaped by risk, reinvention, and the ongoing balance between ambition and personal values. Whether you are training for your first race or finding your footing in a new season of life, her story offers something to hold onto.

 

At its core, this conversation is about more than performance. It is about choosing what matters, staying grounded in your values, and trusting that the unseen work is shaping something greater. Wherever you are in your triathlon journey, this is your reminder that every time you try, you are already winning.

 

Join the Tri Beginner’s Luck Community:

Enjoyed this episode? The best way to support the show is to leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

• Follow us on Instagram: @TriBeginnersLuck
• Connect on Facebook: Tri Beginner’s Luck Page

Questions or Feedback? We want to hear your story! Send your questions to tblpodbiz@tribeginnersluck.com, and we may feature them on a future episode.

Let’s tri this!

I Am Not Just Getting Fit, I Am an Athlete | Jini Thornton's Triathlon Mindset Shift

What if the thing that scares you most is actually the doorway to your next chapter? And what if beginning again at 56 is exactly where your triathlon journey is meant to start?

 

In this episode, we meet Jini Thornton, a CPA, financial planner, and triathlon beginner who is redefining what it means to be an athlete in her 50s. As a founder who has helped over 500 women plan the transfer of more than $188 million in assets, she understands preparation and long-term thinking. But stepping into triathlon required something entirely different: courage, vulnerability, and a willingness to be new again.

 

Jini's journey began with community. Through Atlanta Tri Sisters, she found women in their 50s, 60s, and beyond who were thriving in endurance sports. With their support, she faced one of her biggest fears: open water swimming. She slowly rewrote the story she had been telling herself. From pool-based races to sprint triathlons and now setting her sights on an Ironman 70.3 relay, her path proves that growth doesn't come from comfort.

 

This conversation is about mindset, legacy, and starting before you feel ready. It's about claiming the word "athlete," embracing discomfort, and allowing community to carry you when doubt creeps in. For any triathlon beginner wondering if it's too late or too hard, this story offers a different truth: You don't have to have it all figured out to begin. You just have to take the first step.

 

Join the Tri Beginner’s Luck Community:

Enjoyed this episode? The best way to support the show is to leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

Follow us on Instagram: @TriBeginnersLuck
Connect on Facebook: Tri Beginner’s Luck Page

Questions or Feedback? We want to hear your story! Send your questions to tblpodbiz@tribeginnersluck.com, and we may feature them on a future episode.

 

Let’s tri this!