Up close with tri legend Brad Beven

While Brad Beven was cutting his teeth in triathlon – the local crocodiles could have been sinking their gnashers into him. Yet growing up in the tiny village of Mirriwini in north Queensland, nothing would dissuade the young Aussie from carving a career in endurance sport.

Those formative years of training alone in stifling humidity, and at the mercy of the region’s wildlife, helped the 43-year-old build an athletic engine that allowed him to compete at the top of the sport for a decade.

In a rare interview for the latest Thanyapura Legends of Triathlon podcast, Beven reflects on his consistency at the elite end of short course racing in the Nineties, from lining up as a young pretender against Mark Allen to his later duels with Athens gold medal winner Hamish Carter.

In an era where triathlon in Australia was at its most competitive, Beven explains how his own career evolved with the sport, talks about his multiple World Cup wins and how he would race indoor eliminators or bike courses with half-pipes in fast-paced spectacles made for television.

Now retired with his own online coaching business, Beven reflects on how he was still at the pinnacle as triathlon prepared for its Olympic bow, and how being clattered by a car on the eve of a key qualifier shattered his dream of Sydney 2000 and ultimately ended his professional career.

On the turbo or on the training run, download and listen to the full Thanyapura Legends of Triathlon interview by visiting www.legendsoftriathlon.com or download the podcast via I-Tunes

https://itunes.apple.com/nz/podcast/imtalks-legends-of-triathon/id484630310

Victories fade, legends don’t. The Thanyapura Legends of Triathlon is a monthly podcast brought to triathlon fans by John Newsom and Bevan James Eyles. Legends already interviewed include Mark Allen, Greg Welch, Mike Pigg, Scott Tinley, Erin Baker, Karen Smyers, Scott Molina, Simon Whitfield and Spencer Smith.

Matt Baird Editor of Cycling Plus magazine

About

Matt is a regular contributor to 220 Triathlon, having joined the magazine in 2008. He’s raced everything from super-sprint to Ironman, duathlons and off-road triathlons, and can regularly be seen on the roads and trails around Bristol. Matt is the author of Triathlon! from Aurum Press and is now the editor of Cycling Plus magazine.