UBC Thunderbirds Triathlon SC
6000 Student Union Blvd V6T 1Z1 Vancouver, BC, Canada

A little Clif joke to brighten your Tuesday. Thanks @clifbar for the mountain of bars!

Our annual Purdy’s Chocolatier Christmas Fundraiser is back! Support our team while buying some amazing chocolate to share with family and friends this holiday season! Funds raised will go towards training facility use, equipment, and competition opportunities for our athletes! Catalogue link: https://fundraising.purdys.com//2020%20Christmas%20Catalog... Orders are due by November 25! Send us a DM or email [email protected] if you'd like to place an order!

Check out our latest blog post featuring our pumpkin carving social and October Athlete of the Month! https://recreation.ubc.ca//a-spooky-tsc-triathlon-fall-up/

Our October Athlete of the Month is Michael Hoefert! Michael is new to the team this year, and within his first three weeks, he has already established himself as an integral member of the team. Michael consistently attends both in-person and virtual practices, and leads by example through his positive attitude and dedication to the training plan. The only time he misses team socials is to get an extra workout in! We’re excited to see what this rookie will achieve as the year progresses!

Our athletes were busy tonight carving pumpkins. We now need you to vote on your favourite pumpkin to be crowned our Halloween winner! Check out the poll on our Instagram story to vote!

Check out our latest blog post to find out why some of our athletes joined the team this year! https://recreation.ubc.ca//unveiling-the-2020-2021-ubc-ts/

Introducing our 2020/21 TSC Triathlon team!! Last night, we held our COVID-safety meeting, where we outlined our safety protocols for in-person practices, which will begin with track on Tuesday! We have already held two virtual practices, including a dry-land swim workout with our swim coach, @jaren.lefranc, and a virtual spin with our head coach, @coachpowell.ca! We are so excited for an awesome year ahead!

Check out our latest blog post for back-to-school updates!

Today, during #nationalcoachesweek, we want to thank our Head Coach, Andrew! Andrew’s expertise and unwavering support help us reach new heights as triathletes. When he’s not cheering us on from the sidelines, he’s often putting in the work right beside us, joining us on rides around Vancouver! We appreciate all that you do @coachpowell.ca #thankscoach!

It’s #nationalcoachesweek and we are celebrating our two amazing coaches! First up is our swim coach, Jaren! Drawing from his experience as a UBC Varsity Swimmer and a member of the Canadian FISU National Team, Jaren helps us improve our swimming technique and fitness, all while making swim practice extra fun! #ThanksCoach!

Our 6th and final exec for Meet the Exec week is Katie-Anne, Finance Officer! Hi I'm Katie-Anne Reimer, a third year Poli Sci student and in my second year with the team. A fun fact about me is that I started swimming only a month prior to joining the tri team, and this resulted in me wearing my swim cap sideways for the first three months. When not making questionable fashion statements at team practices, I love watching sports, and I’m really going to miss watching the other talented UBC TSC and Varsity athletes competing at their respective sports. I’m really looking forward to meeting our new athletes (however that looks this year!!).

Our 5th exec feature is Amy, Fundraising Officer! "Hey! My name is Amy and I am going into second-year at UBC, in the faculty of arts. I only started triathlon last year, but I've always loved being active; prior to joining the team I swam, ran cross country, and played field hockey, rugby, and water polo! On top of making a ton of friends and staying in shape, a benefit of joining the tri team is getting to know Vancouver while on team bike rides. Vancouver is truly an amazing city, which I can say confidently having lived in 7 cities in 3 provinces and 2 states. Finally, when I'm not at school or training, you'll probably find me lifeguarding at the UBC Aquatic Centre (between training and my job I basically live at the pool!). I'm super excited for another year with the team!"

Our 4th exec for Meet the Exec week is Alvin, Communications Officer! Hi! My name is Alvin and this is my 2nd year competing in triathlon with the team. I’m starting my 5th year in the UBC MD/PhD program (dual medical school + PhD program). My favourite thing about the team is the ultra supportive and motivating environment; I always have a ton of fun during practices and I’ve really seen myself improve as an athlete. Apart from triathlon and school-related work, I love spending time snowboarding, playing piano and watching reality TV!

Our 3rd exec for Meet the Exec week is Shaun, Marketing Officer! Hi, I’m Shaun! I'm going into my fourth year at UBC, majoring in Computer Science and Biology. I joined the triathlon team last year and it has greatly enhanced my university experience! My favourite part of being on the team is exploring BC by bike with awesome friends. When I’m not training or studying, you can find me listening to true crime podcasts, watching medical documentaries, or researching new places to travel! I can't wait to welcome new teammates and have an awesome, albeit very unique, year!

Our second exec for Meet the Exec week is April, Travel and Safety Officer! Hey I’m April! I’m excited to be starting my third year with the team, as well as my third year at UBC in Biochemistry. I actually completed my first tri when I was six years old, but I’ve only been training seriously for triathlon since joining the team. Seeing the huge improvements I’ve been able to make alongside my amazing teammates has been one of my favourite parts of these last two years. When I'm not training or studying, you can find me trying out new baking recipes or watching entirely too much Netflix! Looking forward to getting back to training with the team, however it happens this year!

This week, we are doing a Meet the Exec week! Our team has 6 execs who help run our team. First up is our Club Lead, Abby! Hi everyone! My name is Abby, and this will be my third year competing in triathlon. I’m also starting my third year at UBC majoring in Cellular, Anatomical, and Physiological Sciences. My favourite thing about the team is being able to crush hard workouts with an incredible group of friends. We’re always pushing ourselves to be better, and watching each other reach a big goal is the best feeling ever. When I’m not training or studying, you can find me looking for Vancouver’s best cappuccino or petting one of the many cute dogs on campus! I’m so excited to welcome new teammates and make the most of this unconventional year!

Enjoying a physically distanced beach day with some of our athletes who will be living in Vancouver this fall! That being said, you do not have to be living in Vancouver this fall to join our team. Our training and social events will be a mix of in person (following COVID-19 health guidelines) and virtual. Come visit us on September 8 at Virtual Imagine Day to find out more!

From August 3-9, we hosted the Longest Week of the Year, a bike-a-thon fundraiser for @bccancerfdn and @bccancer to support cancer research and patient care. We raised $5127. Thank you all for your generous support! Here are the distances some of our athletes were able to complete: Sam: 239km single ride (double Triple Crown!)... Abby: 231km single ride Alvin: 202km single ride Shaun: 152km single ride Katie-Anne: 66km single ride April: 551km week-long ride See more

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, our team has been forced to train separately, with limited facilities and equipment. Jean Westenberg and Sam Kaufman have taken to racing baby deer up Seymour. . . . .... . . . . . #triathlon #triathlete #swimbikerun #ubc #ubctsc #sportclubs #vancouver #collegesports #forstudentsbystudents #gobirds #ubctsctriathlon #ubctriathlon @ Mount Seymour Provincial Park See more

Check out our new summer blog post which features our current fundraiser for the BC Cancer Foundation at: https://recreation.ubc.ca//sun-fun-and-swimbikerun-a-tsc-/ . . .... . . . . . . #triathlon #triathlete #swimbikerun #ubc #ubctsc #sportclubs #vancouver #collegesports #forstudentsbystudents #gobirds #ubctsctriathlon #ubctriathlon See more

From August 3rd to 9th, our athletes will tackle long distances in the saddle to raise money for the BC Cancer Foundation. We are doing a bike-a-thon to support breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are almost halfway to our fundraising goal thanks to all of your donations! To donate or find out more, visit our fundraising page: http://donate.bccancerfoundation.com/goto/UBCTSCTriathlon Thank you!

We interviewed some of our own athletes about their experience at UBC TriDu 2020. Read more on our latest blog post: https://recreation.ubc.ca//ubc-tsc-triathletes-tri-their-/

Our final graduating athlete this year is Ashley Lloyd! Program: Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering Physics Favourite memory with the team: Racing in the pouring rain at the Cultus Lake Triathlon. What's next?: Software Engineering at a biotech company!... Congrats! . . . . . . . . #triathlon #triathlete #swimbikerun #ubc #ubctsc #sportclubs #vancouver #collegesports #forstudentsbystudents #gobirds #ubctsctriathlon #ubctriathlon #grad

We're doing a double athlete feature for our next two graduates: Emily Lostchuck and Katarina Wind! Program: Doctor of Medicine Favourite memory with the team: Emily and Katarina loved being on the team together, locker room chats, braid trains and especially participating in that UBC Tri/Du in 2020 and crossing the finish line together. What's next?: Both women are happy to be staying in Vancouver for residency! Emily will be completing her residency in Emergency Medicine in... Fraser Health, and Katarina in Family Medicine at Saint Paul’s Hospital. They plan to continue lots of long bike rides for ice cream and coffee and hope to complete the Triple Crown this summer with friends. Congrats @emlosteverything and @kata.wind ! . . . . . . . . #triathlon #triathlete #swimbikerun #ubc #ubctsc #sportclubs #vancouver #collegesports #forstudentsbystudents #gobirds #ubctsctriathlon #ubctriathlon #grad @ University of British Columbia

Next on our list of graduating athletes is Thomas Watson, recipient of this year's Athlete of the Year Award! Program: Doctor of Medicine Favourite memory with the team: Impossible to pick one after 3 brilliant years with the TSC team. The shortened season and necessary distancing with COVID has emphasized just how sorely missed the team swim and track practices will be. Two experiences that do come to mind though are a summer training camp down to Los Angeles in 2018 (runnin...g intervals by the Hollywood sign and open water swimming at Venice Beach with Kaz and Ali) and the Apple National Championships in Kelowna last summer where the team had so many PBs and podiums. What's next?: Starting residency in emergency medicine in Vancouver this July (and definitely plan to keep racing in triathlons!) Congrats @watwin88 ! . . . . . . . . #triathlon #triathlete #swimbikerun #ubc #ubctsc #sportclubs #vancouver #collegesports #forstudentsbystudents #gobirds #ubctsctriathlon #ubctriathlon #grad @ University of British Columbia

Our next graduating athlete that we're delighted to feature is Aine Kearns! Program: Visual Arts and Computer Science Favourite memory with the team: Cheering on the team during UBC TriDu and bonding at Thursday morning spin practice. What's next?: Working at Deloitte and hoping to get into bike touring!... Congrats @ainedk ! . . . . . . . . #triathlon #triathlete #swimbikerun #ubc #ubctsc #sportclubs #vancouver #collegesports #forstudentsbystudents #gobirds #ubctsctriathlon #ubctriathlon #grad @ University of British Columbia

Our first graduating athlete that we're celebrating this year is Rocio Hollman! Program: Honours Cellular Anatomical and Physiological Sciences Favourite memory with the team: Before every race, braid trains with the girls. And eating together after races. What's next?: Masters in Neuroscience at UBC (and hopefully more triathlons with the team!)... Congrats @rocio.hollman! . . . . . . . . #triathlon #triathlete #swimbikerun #ubc #ubctsc #sportclubs #vancouver #collegesports #forstudentsbystudents #gobirds #ubctsctriathlon #ubctriathlon #grad @ University of British Columbia

This week would have been our year end banquet with @ubctsc ! Although we’re sad we couldn’t get together in person, we still found a reason to dress up! Alvin Qiu Abby Edison Ashley Lloyd Jean Westenberg Rocio Hollman Tom Watson

All smiles at UBC TriDu, our first race of the season! Three of our athletes competed in their first triathlons ever and we had many personal bests! Our very own @watwin88 took the win for the third year in a row with a time of 1:05:42. Next up, we can’t wait to compete in @usatriathlon Collegiate Club National Championships in Arizona in April. . . . #triathlon #ubctriathlon #ubctsctriathlon #ubcrec #raceday @ University of British Columbia

It’s less than one week until UBC TriDu! We can’t wait to toe the line with @uvictriclub and @ubctriathlon in the Collegiate heat, the first race of the season of the Western Canadian University Triathlon Circuit! . . . #triathlon #ubctriathlon #ubctsctriathlon #wcutc #raceweek #triathlontraining

Next up for our athlete feature is Jean Westenberg! . Jean is doing his M.Sc. in Experimental Medicine in the Addiction and Concurrent Disorder lab, studying treatment for addiction and Opioid Use Disorder. He grew up playing hockey and rowed for McGill throughout his undergrad. He did an ironman 70.3 last summer and has been doing triathlon ever since. In his free time, he loves to spend time with friends and spend time outdoors . Hometown: Montréal, QC.... Favourite tri practice: swimming (only if there is no kick involved) Competition he’s looking forward to: UBC triathlon in March (but he does want do an ironman next year too!) Fun fact: He plays tennis with his right hand but he plays pingpong with his left hand . . . #ubctsc #ubctsctriathlon #ubctriathlon #athletefeature See more

As teammates we try to look out for each other’s mental health. Together let’s work towards ending the stigma associated with mental health . . . #ubctsctriathlon #ubc #ubcrec #teammates #triathlon #ubctriathlon #ubctsc

As much as we loved the snow, we’re so happy it melted because we can ride again! . . . #wintercycling #ubctsctriathlon #ubctriathlon #ubc #triathlon

Join our team this Friday for a fun treadmill marathon at Forerunners Main Street! All the proceeds go toward fundraising for our National Championships and we’d love to see you there!

Happy New Year from UBC TSC Triathlon! We can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store for us!

This December we’re featuring another new athlete joining our team this year. Meet @alvin.qiu ! Alvin is a 4th-year medical student and PhD student (in the combined MD/PhD program). He has never done a triathlon before and is completely new to the sport. However, he is super stoked to train with the team this year and compete in his first triathlon! Outside of school, Alvin enjoys hiking, snowboarding, playing the piano and watching reality TV. Hometown: Toronto, ON Career go...als: Becoming a physician-scientist Most known for: Constantly posting to his Instagram story Fun fact: He is one of three triplet brothers Favourite team practice: group bike rides (but only when it’s sunny) @ University of British Columbia See more

Throwback to last week’s @ubcrec event, Water Wars! We had such a fun time at this event, entering two UBC TSC Triathlon teams that both made it to the finals! Our two teams competed against each other in spongebob themed water obstacle courses and Team Chumbucket Tri Dudes won! Thanks for putting on such a fun event @ubcrec ! @ University of British Columbia

Today we’re featuring another new recruit, Áine Kearns! . Áine is a 5th year visual arts and computer science student. She grew up as a swimmer but got into biking and running after high school. She did her first triathlon this summer and fell in love. She’s so excited to train with the team this year and get better at the sport. . Hometown: Carleton Place, ON... Career Goals: Solutions Consultant Most known for: Her love of adventure Fun Fact: She hiked to Machu Picchu last Christmas break Favourite team practice: Swim! . . . #athletefeature #ubctsc #ubctsctriathlon #ubctri #ubc @ University of British Columbia See more

Happy Halloween from UBC TSC Triathlon!

We had a blast at the Fall Classic 5k/10k/Half Marathon! With athletes competing in all three distances we had lots of age group podium placements and almost everyone ran a personal best! Congrats to everyone who raced on Saturday! . . . #fallclassic2019 #running #ubctsc #triathlon #ubctsctriathlon

Track Tuesday! We’re gearing up for the Fall Classic 5k/10k/Half Marathon happening at UBC this Saturday!

Our team had the opportunity to practice with swim stretch cords for resistance training this week! @ UBC aquatic centre

We’re loving this beautiful October weather, it’s perfect for cycling! . . . #cycling #triathlon #triathlonclub #ubc #ubctriathlon #ubctsc #iona

This month we’re featuring one of our rookies, Amy Topshee! Amy came to UBC a month ago and is studying arts! She’s brand new to triathlons and super excited to try out a new sport! Prior to trying triathlons she dabbled in many sports including water polo, field hockey, rugby, cross country, and swimming! Hometown: Victoria (?¿ but also maybe Halifax, Port Hope, or Toronto)... Career Goals: No idea yet!! Most known for: Selling the MOST doughnuts thanks to her persuasive yelling Fun fact: She’s moved across North America 11 times @ University of British Columbia See more

Update: we are sold out of donuts, thanks to everyone who came out to support us!!

We’re selling Krispy Kreme donuts outside the bookstore until 5pm! One for $1 or a dozen for $10!

Saturdays are for team rides and cool cycling socks

Join us for run tryouts tonight! We’re meeting at 5:45pm at the SRC!

It's Tryouts week! We're looking forward to Swim Tryout #1 tonight at 6:45pm at the UBC Aquatic Centre! Don't forget to check our website (or the description of the event below) for eligibility requirements and a link to our waiver. See you soon!

Interested in joining our team? Come out for our last open practice tomorrow! We’ll be meeting for a bike ride at 10am at the SRC. We’ll be riding rain or shine so we’d love to see you there!

Join us for a long run this morning at 10am at the SRC!

Interested in joining UBC TSC Triathlon? Join us tonight at 5:30pm in Room 182 at IKB!

Our first open practice is tonight! See you at 6:45pm at the UBC Aquatic Centre for a swim workout!

Team work makes the dream work! Our men’s and women’s Storm the Wall teams got and in their respective finals! Special thanks to the true team players: @adam_t_guthrie for basing for our ironwoman, Ashley @jaronasp for wall grabbing our ultra ironwoman, Rocio and still basing AND wall jumping for the men... @abby_e14 for swimming twice, for the each men’s and women’s team, competing at the SAME time We’ll get’em next time #stormthewall

All smiles before the start of our first race of the season! An awesome performance by all of our athletes (and UVIC/UBC TriClub)! More pics to come creds: @jordi_hollman

Read all about our Pancake Run with Forerunners: #Forerunners #UBCTSC