Dubai, UAE: T100 leading lights Imogen Simmonds and Rico Bogen visited a group of local Dubai school pupils this week, ahead of this weekend’s climax to the inaugural T100 Triathlon World Tour.
Answering questions about their experiences in Dubai; their lives as professional athletes; how they unwind; and even what they do when they don’t feel like putting in the hard yards, Swiss star Simmonds and German World Champion Bogen lifted the lid on the focus and drive that has taken them to the very top of the sport and put them in the frame for a T100 series podium.
“I always come back to the ‘why’,” was Simmonds’ answer to what she tells herself if she’s struggling for motivation.
Explaining to 50 pupils from GEMS World Academy aged 10-17 years old – including some aspiring future professional swimmers and triathletes – Simmonds talked about the unique demands of the T100 season-long schedule, which has visited four different continents and the full range of courses and environments.
“It’s been different to what we’ve been used to before, when we were focused on maybe two or three races a year. Going up against the best athletes on a regular basis has been very different and a unique challenge, which I’ve really enjoyed..”
Simmonds currently lies fourth in the T100 standings and knows that a strong conclusion to her campaign on Saturday [women’s T100 race starts at 1330 local time] will put her in the frame to finish on the podium and a share of the $2 million USD series prize pot.
Bogen also had some great advice for the youngsters. Asked how he unwinds, he said very definitely: “Being with nature outside is very important to me. I love hiking, being with my family. It’s incredibly important to have your time.”
Simmonds went a step further by sharing that she’d been practicing for the Dubai heat by doing some training in a sauna and found it beneficial in other ways as well.
“I found the sauna preparation very meditative actually, because you can’t take your phone into the sauna!”
The pair finished by signing water bottles and encouraging the assembled group to be active and try out the 5km music run on Saturday evening with their parents, which is an important ingredient in the Dubai T100 Triathlon World Championship Final weekend, alongside more than 3,000 amateurs who are doing 100km and Sprint distance triathlons.
“The most important race is the women’s T100 Triathlon on Saturday afternoon from 1330 [the men’s is on Sunday from the same time]. But there’s also a Music Run around Meydan Raceourse which will have DJs playing music all the way around and finish with a party. I think I’d prefer to be doing that!
The world famous Music Run is making its debut in Dubai as part of the Dubai T100 Triathlon World Championship Final weeken and is a 5km un-timed, energy filled fun-run, perfect for participants of all ages and abilities. To find out more visit https://themusicrun.ae
It is also an important part of the 30×30 Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) – an initiative driven by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, to integrate physical activity into everyday life for the population and make Dubai one of the most active cities in the world.
-ends-
Notes To Editors:
A reminder of how the T100 Triathlon World Tour works:
- Athletes score 35 points for first place to 1 pt for 20th place at each race
- The Dubai T100 Triathlon World Championship Final has increased points to up the ante (55 pts down to 4 pts)
- Each athlete’s best three T100 race scores plus the Final will count towards the inaugural women’s and men’s T100 World Champions
- $250,000 USD prize fund at each T100, totalling $1,750,000 across the seven races (1st place – $25,000k; 2nd – $16,000; 3rd – $12,000 at each race)
- The series winners following the Dubai T100 Triathlon World Championship Final will be crowned T100 Triathlon World Champion and collect $210,000 USD from an additional total prize pool of $2,000,000
- Between the athlete contracts, T100 race prize fund and T100 Triathlon World Tour pool, the series provides more than $7,000,000 in athlete compensation, and is distributed in a way that not only rewards the winners, but also recognises the significant achievement of racing at this level
For Further Information:
Anthony Scammell E: [email protected]
About Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO)
The PTO is a sports body that is co-owned by its professional athletes, seeking to elevate and grow the sport of triathlon and take it to the next level. The T100 Triathlon World Tour is the new name for the PTO Tour and has been designated by World Triathlon as the ‘official World Championship for long distance triathlon’. It is a season-long schedule of T100 races during 2024 that are competed over 100km (2km swim, 80km bike and 18km run) and features the world’s best triathletes going head-to-head in Miami (9 March), Singapore (13-14 April), San Francisco (8-9 June), London (27-28 July), Ibiza (28-29 September), Lake Las Vegas (19-20 October) and then the Dubai T100 Triathlon World Championship Final (16-17 November). There have also been racing opportunities for amateurs at all the events, including the new 100km distance at five stages, including: Singapore, London, Ibiza, Lake Las Vegas and Dubai. The global broadcast shows the races live around the world in 195+ territories, courtesy of the PTO’s partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery as well as a range of other international, regional and local broadcasters.
