Charlotte McShane steps off road at Xterra World Championship Maui

Charlotte McShane is one of Australia’s rising triathlon stars, having been crowned under 23 ITU world champion in 2013. Charlotte is making the most of a rare end of season break to challenge herself at the XTERRA World Championships in Maui, being joined by boyfriend Brendan Sexton, and her sister and father who are both competing in their respective age categories.

We caught up with Charlotte leading into Sunday’s race to see what prompted her to step off road!

TZ: I believe you raced (and won) as an age grouper at the Xterra World Championships in the past? Can you fill us in a little on how much Xterra racing you’ve done previously and when this was?

Charlotte: I raced here in Maui in 2008 and I won the U20 Female title. Thats really as far as my Xterra career has gone! After that I took up ITU racing and as the schedule is so demanding we don’t often have the opportunity to have a crack at other races like this.

TZ: A huge achievement and what a start to your professional triathlon career! What prompted the return?

Charlotte: I’ve always wanted to come back to Maui and race but it’s never fit in well with my schedule – This year our season finished slightly earlier than normal in Edmonton. I had around 6 weeks between then and now and I knew I wanted to continue racing in some way before I took a little break. I also wanted to do something different and refreshing – and training for Xterra has certainly been both. I’ve loved it.

TZ: So you’ve had a bit of time for some mountain bike riding leading into the event?

Charlotte: I’ve had about 5 weeks of practise on my mountain bike – after having around 6 years off it. I’d forgotten a lot more than I realised so its taken a while to get my confidence back!

TZ: Looking at the start list your boyfriend Brendan is also racing. Did you bully him into it or was it actually is idea? 😉

Charlotte: Haha, well we both wanted the same thing for our ‘off season’ – to enjoy it and try something new. My older sister Colette and my father Frank both qualified this year in their age groups and they decided they wanted to do it , so we agreed to go along!

TZ: Seeing you’ve raced before, you obviously have some idea of what to expect. Do you have a race plan or is it just a case of seeing how the race unfolds?

Charlotte: I remember very well how painful the race was and I’m thankful I have an idea of it! The course is completely different to when I raced, but I realise its going to hurt a lot. I don’t have a plan and I’m honestly just going to go as hard as I can out there and see what happens. I have no idea how I’m going to compare to my competitors!

TZ: Your bike of choice for the race?

Charlotte: A beautiful Liv Lust. I feel so lucky to be on such an awesome bike – I need all the help I can get 🙂

TZ: Do you have any tips for others wanting to give Xterra a try?

Charlotte: Do it! It is incredibly tough and will hurt a lot, but is so rewarding. And it manages to be FUN! The atmosphere at Xterra is unlike any other triathlon I’ve ever done.

TZ: So can we expect to see you racing more Xterra events in the near future, or is simply an end of season change of scene/vacation for you and Brendan?

Charlotte: No not in the near future. We won’t have this opportunity for another few years. It is something we’d both like to do once we retire from ITU, but hopefully thats not for a while yet 🙂

TZ: All the best for the race Charlotte, stay upright, or at least if you crash do it with style 😉

Charlotte: Thanks, I don’t think I’ll manage to stay completely upright thats for sure! 🙂

TZ: Finally do you have any plans post race, or is it straight back to work?

Charlotte: We have a week in Hawaii exploring Maui and then Honolulu post race. The perfect way to end the season 😉

Thanks for your time Charlotte, it’s great to see some of Australia’s best talent on the ITU scene taking the time to approach a new challenge. All the best to your father Frank and sister Colette, and of course not forgetting boyfriend Brendan Sexton. We look forward to sharing Charlotte’s experience following the race in Maui on Sunday.