From a young age, Kristen had an interest in athletics and gymnastics, but it wasn’t until around the age of 10 when she developed a passion for the sport. Since then, she has been mountain biking for just over six years but only started racing competitively around three years ago.
Kristen said it wasn’t until August last year when she ventured into the world of cross duathlon - a sport that combines trail running and mountain biking.
Now in her final year of schooling at St Patrick's College, Kristen recently represented Australia at the World Triathlon Age Group Multisport World Championships in Townsville, where she competed in the Cross Duathlon event.
She claims that she won the title of national champion “by accident.”
“In 2023 I competed at the national championships in Townsville for cross duathlon and I ended up sort of…by accident…becoming the national champion at my first ever duathlon race, and then that led to my selection into the Australian team to compete at the world championships this year,” she said.
As she wore green and gold, Kristen prevailed in the 6 km trail run and 20 km mountain bike ride before finishing with another 3 km trail run, earning her the honourable title of 2024 World Champion for the 18-19 years Cross Duathlon.
Kristen recalled the feeling of victory and said “it was a surprise but I put a lot of hard work, training and a lot of discipline into it.
“I’m really happy to come away with a win, and the race was super hard as well so it was a big achievement to just finish.”
This incredible accomplishment not only marks Kristen's success on the international stage but also secures her a spot on the Australian team, where she will have the opportunity to defend her title in 2025 at the World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain.
With success, comes challenges, which Kristen says it’s been hard trying to manage school studies with a training regimen that includes mountain biking, running and gym sessions as well as balancing a social life.
Despite this, Kristen says that her involvement with the Athlete Development Program at 21 Laps has helped significantly where Dean and his team have provided valuable support. Her riding coach from Brisbane, John Russell from JRsgymandbike, has also been instrumental in helping her balance her fitness goals
Kristen credits her training team and coach for guiding her to success, saying, "It was hard, but it really paid off."
Kristen Rowlands, 17, celebrates her remarkable achievement as the 2024 World Champion for the 18-19 years Cross Duathlon after a gruelling event in Townsville. Photo supplied
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