Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship: Felicity Sheedy-Ryan Set to Shake Up Western Sydney

Two times World Duathlon champion Felicity Sheedy-Ryan is heading to the Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship ready to unleash her bike/run combination on the super fast Penrith course and is determined to throw a cat among the pigeons.

Widely acknowledged as a one of the most talented runners of her era in triathlon, the 32 year old veteran has reinvigorated her career since changing coaches to Cameron Watt and is coming off a strong performance at the iconic Noosa Triathlon where she pushed world #2 Ashleigh Gentle to the limit.

Felicity is flourishing in her new, supportive training environment and is looking for a win in Western Sydney to secure a start in the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in South Africa in 2018 and kick-start her journey towards Tokyo 2020.

Growing up in Western Australia, Felicity’s childhood revolved around gymnastics, the occasional fun run and dabbling in school cross country. It wasn’t until her final year in high school and a third place in the All Schools Championship that her incredible leg speed was publicly unveiled.

“My introduction to triathlon was pretty random. My dad was doing a corporate team, and he needed a swimmer of all things. I didn’t do any swimming at that point except for body surfing and body boarding and swimming at the beach. I did it, and I loved it, and then I did another full triathlon with him and as clichéd as it is, I loved it, got straight into it and didn’t turn back.”

Post-school, Felicity had her hands full combining triathlon with full-time study in Sports Science at the University of Western Australia where she got involved in the UWA Tri Club but as a late starter into the sport and geographically remote from triathlon’s east coast epicentre she struggled for support and recognition.

“When I came through there were a lot of strong girls, the three Emmas, Erin Densham and Felicity Abram were all going pretty hard at that time. It was a difficult time to break into the sport. In the first few years, I was still learning, and I was still progressing so there are no sour grapes there. The girls were better at that time, and they were going well. But being on the outside, there were some missed opportunities in the early years.” Like many others of her era, National team selection was evasive, and it took enormous courage to keep Felicity chasing her dream.

“Over the last few years, I haven’t had anyone to work with full time, or on a face to face basis. I started with Cam Watt around March, and he has been awesome. I needed someone to do some more hands-on coaching and to work on my swim. I was in a rut in 2016, and it was a pretty horrid year for me on many levels. He was very patient and got me back on my feet. I came to him with a lot of doubt and having no one to help me achieve the goals I wanted to, so I was a bit lost.”

“Cam has instilled a good faith and belief in what I had originally thought was possible to achieve. It is nice to have someone in my corner backing me, standing up for me and aligning the coaching with the goals. He has been outstanding in getting me fit and up and going.”

“My bike and run have always been there, and that has been a part of my stubbornness and refusal to walk away from the sport. I don’t feel that I have showcased what I am capable of and I believe that the best is yet to come. Having been in the pool for ten years, I am starting to feel that my swim is also coming through and there is a strength there I never had before, so it is an exciting time for me. I know I still have more to give and I would like to see that before I eventually walk away.”

“In the last couple of years there has been the age factor, and I have had that said to me very matter of factly. ‘You are too old, and we want the juniors’. The guys at TriSutto have had me on their radar for a while, and they know what I have been through, but they have put their hand out to help where other people have turned their back. They have worked well with many other athletes who are square pegs trying to fit into a round hole and unlocked their potential.”

The Brisbane based Watt said he had watched Felicity’s career from afar for many years and it has intrigued him why no-one had managed to direct her talent in the right direction. He believes the sky is the limit.
“Her ability to suffer, to hurt and overcome obstacles is something that stood out to me. Flick and Ashleigh Gentle are Australia’s top two runners in short course triathlon that is without a doubt and her 33:29 opening 10k at Duathlon worlds is proof.”

“Some say she is a late bloomer, but age has nothing to do with limitations for athletes like Flick. It is the disillusionment with federations, lack of forward progress in performance levels and with that lack of financial earning from the sport that kills most athletes. We’ve fixed all that and I don’t see the ceiling of her athletic potential anywhere near in sight,” he said.