Why I joined a changing sport

If someone had asked me 10 years ago whether I’d be working in the triathlon industry, I’m not sure which of us would have been more surprised by the question.

I grew up with basketball (yep, even here in the UK), and did a fair bit of running in my younger years, but I’d never really even let the concept of swim-bike-run enter my head.

But I have to say, this transition into the triathlon industry has really opened my eyes, and a lot of this is embedded in the concept of a ‘growth sport’. Triathlon has been developing and continually evolving as a sport; and that’s the exciting part.

Within two weeks of starting my new role at Super League Triathlon, I was exposed to what can only be described as an absolutely epic, exciting, unpredictable, intense and dynamic sport when I was working at RBC Super League Triathlon Jersey.

What has impressed me is the passion of the founding members of this brand new triathlon series and the success that they have achieved in what is comparatively a very short space of time in the history of the sport. In fact, they - or rather, we - are making history with this sport. 

Call me anti-establishment but I’ve always loved a challenger brand - something that goes against the norm - and that’s exactly what we’re doing at Super League. We’ve taken triathlon, added new dynamics and taken it to a new level - and are witnessing an unbelievable global response.

In 2019, the Triathlon Business International Conference made a nod to the fact that things are improving across the industry, or at least in certain areas, but the fact is the sport needs a major turnaround in terms of participation.

The old adage of ‘why keep doing the same thing and expecting different results’, comes into play here. It’s not that the sport has become stagnant, but I do think we need a different approach as a sport to keep the growth, the interest, and the evolution of triathlon alive.

This is precisely what we are doing as a team at Super League. We are dedicated and motivated to bring the world’s best triathlon competition to the forefront of the public eye, through a growing global media platform. We have some big targets to hit in the coming years to make this the most talked-about triathlon competition in the world, and I'm confident we'll meet them.

We’re seeing a positive response already, with YoY growth of our audience across multiple channels. This is happening because we’re turning the sport into something that is so exciting and that people want to watch. 

I recall a conversation I had with our CEO Michael prior to joining about what to expect. He said:

"We are following the path that you would expect for any organisation trying to disrupt the norm, exciting and challenging, much like our racing."

I'm happy to say SLT is delivering this in spades, and I am looking forward to driving the brand forward through engaging content and hero-ing our athletes beyond the realms of just marketing.

I am excited to be an integral part of an ambitious plan to grow a bigger and better global platform. Bring on the future!

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We have some more exciting news to announce about our Championship Series very soon, which will help us build out our offering to broadcast, media and partners alike. If you’re interested in finding out more about how we are changing the world of triathlon, then feel free to get in touch.

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If you do have some spare time, find out what being a VIP at one of our events looks like! Credits to Jess and James for putting this one together.