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.

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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!