Over the last year, Bachelor of Education (Honours) and Bachelor of Music student, Noah Raz, has been an active member of the Elite Student Performer Support program whilst competing as an international triathlete. However, he only recently began his career as a triathlete. After competing at the state level here in Victoria, he decided to hang up his goggles in 2017. 

In a unique turn of events, lockdown led to a new found passion for Noah, and he began running, eventually leading to his first triathlon in 2021. As a determined athlete, Noah quickly took to his new sport and set his sights on triathlons all around Australia. After multiple high level placings throughout  2022, he comfortably secured his spot at the 2022 World Triathlon Age Group Championships, to be held in Abu Dhabi, UAE on November 26. 

Through his many years as a competitive swimmer, the swim has always been Noah's strongest leg. However, it isn’t always the most enjoyable experience, with water conditions sometimes making life even harder for every athlete in the race. Success in one part, doesn’t necessarily lead to smooth sailing either, it is a mental battle from start to finish. 

Momentum is extremely important throughout the race, and Noah is constantly pushing himself. To my shock, the standard Olympic distance at the championships, a 1.5km swim, 40km cycle and a 10km run, is considered a ‘short distance’ in the triathlete world and Noah will be aiming to maintain a very quick pace throughout the race. 

To put everything into context, Noah’s recent result at the Sunshine Coast 70.3 Ironman required him to swim at 1:27min/100m, cycle at 38km/h and then run at a 4:27m/km pace for longer than 4 hours. If that isn’t incredible, I’m not sure what is. 

Due to the heat in Abu Dhabi, he’ll be incorporating a few more sauna sessions than usual and sticking to his plant-based diet as he enters the final stages of his preparation. He and I both love a large bowl of pasta, the only difference being he puts it to good use as his go to race meal. Make sure to check out Noah’s race through his instagram. 

Following the championships, Noah’s goal is to take home gold at the Overall 2XU Triathlon Series back home in Melbourne, as well as the Tri Husky Half-Ironman distance Triathlon in Jervis Bay. The ultimate goal being to become a professional Triathlete and continue to don the Green and Gold. 

As you can probably tell, Noah has some lofty goals. But, with the heart and dedication that he has shown over the course of his triathlete career, he’s definitely someone I’ll be placing my bets on and I encourage you to do the same. Good luck with your final preparation Noah, we can’t wait to see what you’re capable of! 

Written by Lucas Stevens