Olivia Dietzel , you are an IRONMAN. When Olivia, a Wisconsin native, set out on her triathlon journey she was largely inspired by her dad who was an avid road biker. When her dad's brain cancer returned in 2018, Olivia pushed up the timeline to do her first Ironman in 2019 as a fundraiser for brain cancer research while hoping her dad could see her race. Even though his health had declined, he was there to see her finish that glorious day in September 2019. Since that day, though her Dad is no longer here, Olivia has continued to fight, stretch herself outside of her comfort zone, and rise to the top of her age group through grit, a lot of hard work, and a special angel watching over her every step of the way.Olivia has had some incredible performances over the past couple of years, including a 70.3 OVERALL WIN at Michigan in 2021 and many podium finishes in full Ironman distance races in 2021 and 2022. It's safe to say that she has GUTS and knows how to power through some truly terrible conditions. You'll learn a lot about her unique approach to training (hello altitude mask) and fueling, and how her day in Kona was a challenging one. Olivia emphasizes that if you love the journey the races don't have to go perfectly to learn and keep moving forward. Where will we see Olivia next year? Look for her in the PRO FIELD! 9:12 - "...and my dad really enjoyed biking, and so he was, like, pestering me, like, alright, let's go for a bike ride! Let's go for a bike ride!" 22:40 - "Some of the races that things went terribly and I had to adjust are probably ones where I'm more proud of my effort" 28:25 - "By the time I got to Kona, it was seven weeks of no running."46:10 - "That's what it was mentally so tough because I felt so good and wanted to run, but I kept pulling myself back like, no, let's be smart." 47:55 - "the finish line experience was absolutely amazing. I think the coolest part was seeing my family after it because they definitely didn't think I was going to finish." 54:10 - "So many of those things are out of your control and the only thing you can really control is what your training looks like and what your attitude is like" Favorite piece of gear: Altitude Mask Follow Olivia: @olivia.dietzel Olivia's Sponsors: @spaerotriathlon @genucan @1upusa @saltstick 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]