Erin Oliphant blasted into the triathlon space in 2021 competing in her first 70.3 Arizona finishing 1st in the 18-24 age group. Next, she tackled a full distance Ironman Texas in 2022, also placing 1st in her age group and securing her spot to Kona. Though Erin might be new to competing, she knows a lot about the world of triathlon from her mom who also competes at a high level. Erin has a crazy-strong background in swimming, which you might guess from her smoking-fast swim in Kona (53 minutes!), which ranked 1st in her age group and 5th overall for women, INCLUDING the professionals. Erin shares some injuries she’s dealt with over the years, hitting plateaus in swimming, but ultimately finding her way to triathlon where she could finally see that hard work and endurance build over the years paying off. Erin is an assistant swimming coach for Arizona State University and a triathlon coach with Where Your Feet Take You. You can often find her with a bowl of ice cream after a hard swim session. Our conversation with Erin was filled with hope, emotion, and a focus on mental strength. We are so excited to see where Erin’s journey in triathlon takes her! 6:50 – “I loved the fact that it was mostly on me and how hard I worked and that was going to kind of be how successful I was going to be. It was dependent on me and I loved pushing myself in the endurance sport way, for sure.” 10:30 - “I missed competing so much. I love competing. I love training for something.” 14:51 – “But having a coach who structures it for you, so it takes the thinking out and your daily decision making… someone to hold you accountable, and it's someone for me just to talk through everything and kind of help me gain confidence” 30:25 – “I was like, okay, let's go get on the bike course. And there's this beautiful rainbow….this going to be a good day.” 37:50 - “I think those last 30 miles of the bike after I got the flat [was the hardest part of the race]. Mentally trying to keep myself in it without being super angry and letting things be and trying to just be okay with it, being in the moment.” 48:02 - “It is the coolest finish of anything in the world. You're running and you get to a Ali’i and the crowd just starts going. And when you get to the red carpet, it's just all lined with people” 56:05 - “…my biggest piece of advice and something I've really learned for myself in the last year, is that training smart is just as important as training hard.” Erin is a self-proclaimed ice cream enthusiast! Her favorite ice cream: Rainbow Sherbet Pro she’d love to train with: Swim with Lucy Charles-Barkley Erin’s favorite piece of gear this season: Tres Pinas Running Shorts Erin’s Sponsor: Moxie Multisport Follow Erin Oliphant’s journey: Instagram @erin.oli Website: Where Your Feet Take You (coaching)  Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message via our website at www.missionkonapodcast.com or email to [email protected]