Local triathlete Raylan Jamison, 22, had the amazing experience of representing her age group on Team Canada at the 2018 ITU (International Triathlon Union) World Championships in Gold Coast, Australia. Jamison competed in two distances—sprint and standard—during the week-long event, held September 12-16, 2018.
Her first competition was the Age Group Sprint Distance on September 13, which consisted of a 750 m swim, 20 km bike ride and a 5 km run. She placed in the top half for her age group (20-24) with a 21st place finish, earning her bragging rights as the fastest Canadian in her age group and the second fastest Canadian woman overall.
Jamison’s second event was the Age Group Standard Distance on September 16, which consisted of a 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike ride, and a 10 km run. Once again she was the fastest Canadian, placing 32nd in her age category.
“Competing against so many amazing athletes—over 5000 age group racers!—was inspiring,” says Jamison.
Jamison participated in her first race in 2016 and has competed in local events such as the Port Sydney Kids’ Tri, the TriMuskokan, and the Bracebridge Triathlon, as well as many farther afield.
Her training consists of many dedicated hours spent swimming, biking, and running. “Almost every morning I would wake up and train, and then again after work I would be back training. My weekends, I usually did long bike rides or mini training camps,” she says. In addition to her physical training, Jamison would prepare mentally, focus on proper nutrition, and get enough sleep and rest which are all so important to prepare for a triathlon.
Jamison was one of the qualifying athletes to earn a spot on Team Canada through placement in her race at the 2017 Ottawa ITU Sprint Triathlon. This summer, Jamison trained in San Antonio,Texas while on an internship; in the fall and winter she trains at Guelph University while attending school. She has worked with local coaches while in Huntsville but trains mostly independently.
Being able to attend the ITU World Championships in Australia was an absolutely incredible experience, Jamison says. “I have never had so much fun racing in my life! The energy from the spectators and support from Canada and other nations was overwhelming and made the races unforgettable.”
Jamison plans to continue training and to focus on her technique and race strategies as she hopes to qualify for the 2019 World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland. “I think my goal at this point is to just work really hard and see where I can go.”
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Audrey & Ray Whittem says
Congratulations Raylan on your success. Your training has been such a great part of your life and proved ” You can do it “. Congratulations again and keep enjoying what you do.
Tom Stehr says
That’s amazing that you’re doing so well after only two years of competition, your future is very bright. Keep up the great work, we’re all cheering for your successes to come.
Tom Stehr says
That’s amazing that you’ve had such success in only two years of competition, keep up the great work. We’re all cheering for your continued successes in the future.
Don McCormick says
Congratulations on your success. I competed for Canada in 4 World Championships and the experience just keeps getting better with each event. Keep up the good work. Safe and injury free training to you.