Why I’ve left the Royal Air Force to make YouTube videos about triathlon racing

Zack Stead, 25, is a YouTuber and triathlete from Leeds. Since he was 18, he’s served in the RAF, but this year is leaving to pursue a career in videography and creating content around triathlon across Europe. It’s a big leap, but one he’s excited to fully commit to.

I’m leaving the RAF after seven years of service. I joined at 18 and have gained so much from the experience, but I’ve reached a point where I want to build a life around something I love doing every day — and for me, that’s videography and telling stories through triathlon.

It might sound a bit cliché, but I’ve recently had the chance to turn this into a full-time thing, and that was the push I needed to take the leap. 

Learning from my mistakes

Two years ago, I did my first triathlon on a bit of a whim. It was in the south of France, and I was completely underprepared.

I couldn’t swim properly, had barely spent more than an hour on a bike, and had only done a few running races.

It was an Ironman 70.3, and it was honestly horrendous. It took me over seven hours, and I suffered the entire time. But for some reason, that experience hooked me.

Since then, I’ve taken it much more seriously. I started training properly, learning from my mistakes, and I began sharing my journey on Instagram.

It started with the idea of helping people avoid the basic errors I’d made. I didn’t expect anyone to watch, but it felt honest.

Then a small audience began to grow. People seemed to connect with the content, with the progress, even the failures. 

I’ve done about five races now, and with every single one, I’ve earned something new. That’s what I love about triathlon: the complexity.

With three disciplines, something will go wrong, but that’s part of the draw.

You never run out of ways to improve. There’s always another lesson to take into your next training block or race. 

Why I make videos

I make videos because I love it, not just to tick boxes. As my page grew, I started getting messages from brands and sponsors. I’ve always been selective. I said no to a lot of early offers. I didn’t want to work with companies that weren’t genuinely aligned with what I was doing.

That said, one cool moment was when I posted about buying my first TT helmet, a Kask Mistral. I asked my followers for recommendations, and this one came up a lot. I raced with it for four events.

A few weeks later, the brand followed me, started interacting with my stories, and eventually reached out.

Now, I’m working on a documentary with them about my journey to Ironman Leeds, which lines up perfectly with leaving the military and taking this next big step.

It’s my first real partnership, and I want to do it justice. 

The draw of the triathlon community

What’s also kept me in the sport is the community.

Every race weekend has had this genuinely welcoming atmosphere. Everyone’s in it together.

People you’ve never met will cheer you on, give you tips, or just share in the experience.

That kind of energy is rare, and it’s what makes the sport feel bigger than just swimming, biking and running.