Life in the Fast Lane

Christchurch triathlete Andrea Hewitt is one of New Zealand’s most successful sporting personalities. She represented New Zealand at the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games, the ITU World Championships, and the World Triathlon Series, winning too many medals to mention. At the end of the 2017 season Andrea ranked 5th in the world and was recently selected for NZ’s 2018 Commonwealth Games team.

To kick off the year Andrea has the Oceania Cup in Adelaide, and with the AUA Rohrman Triathlon being held in Antigua, she’ll be flying to the Caribbean for heat training. Then there’s the first race of the World Series in Abu Dhabi – and that’s just the first three months of the year!

It’s fair to say Andrea has a very busy schedule, so how does she keep up – training for three disciplines and competing on the world stage? “Most weeks my training is approximately 5 swims, 6 bike rides, 7 runs, and a yoga session,” says Andrea. This adds up to around 30 hours of training each week with one day off.” It’s hectic but there’s a short down-time between seasons. “That’s when I can travel and visit friends I’ve made in Europe. I also like to make the most of my time there and do some sightseeing before coming home,” says Andrea.

In Christchurch, when Andrea’s not training she enjoys going to the beach, visiting friends, and spending time with her family. Post training she enjoys cooking. “Eating properly around my training sessions helps my body recover more quickly.”

Staying motivated isn’t a problem for Andrea. “I love training,” she says “and I find the travelling fun – there’s always a race and a destination to look forward to. Knowing what I have to do to win motivates me to go out and train for those special moments. I’m proud to represent New Zealand on the world stage and still get goose bumps when I compete. I get recognised sometimes and greeted – the New Zealand public are so friendly towards sportspeople.”

Andrea’s proudest moment was when she won the 2011 World Series Final in Beijing. “To bring tears to the eyes of the closest people around me was a moment I will never forget. My Dad made a last minute decision to come watch by himself and he told me it was the best day of his life.”

To help her get to her training sessions around Christchurch, Hollands Suzuki supplied Andrea with a red Swift Sport. According to Andrea, “It's the perfect car for driving around town. It looks good, it’s simple to drive and so easy to park.”

Suzuki sponsor Triathlon New Zealand, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion of the sport in New Zealand. As well as working with youth, coaches and referees, Triathlon New Zealand delivers a high performance programme, helping athletes like Andrea, take on the world.