Have you ever wondered about the life of a professional triathlete? In this podcast series, we interview current and retired QT2 Systems Professional Triathletes, exploring the path to earning (and maintaining) a pro license, the nuts and bolts of training and racing, and the ups and downs along the way. The guests also share how being a pro triathlete shaped their lives, and what advice they would give to their younger selves.

Episode 7 features Angela Naeth. Angela raced her first triathlon in 2005 - an indoor pool swim, a 30K bike and a 8K trail run. She won. Angela raced her second triathlon in 2006 - a half distance. She won and earned her pro card. With $2000 in her pocket, a bike and a bag, and a dream to race as a professional triathlete, Angela left her home in Canada and came to the US. In the early part of her career, she raced frequently - living meagerly, she banked her earnings. In 2009, she won her first IRONMAN 70.3 - Boulder. That was the turning point. Over the years, she developed strong partnerships in the sport, continued to race frequently, and started making a legitimate living as a pro. After focusing on 70.3 for several years, she entered her first IRONMAN full distance in 2013. Despite all of her successes, Angela had never focused on her race fueling, and it ultimately caught up to her. After a disastrous race in Australia, Angela reached out to QT2 Systems founder Jesse Kropelnicki. With Jesse's coaching and nutrition guidance, Angela won her first IRONMAN in 2015 - IRONMAN Chattanooga. Angela continues to race professionally, coached by QT2 Systems Tim Snow.

When faced with adversity, Angela gets up every time. Each challenge makes her stronger. Her tenacity shines through in her racing and her desire to help others. Angela gives back to the sport that gave her so much. She has created a community of female athletes with her I Race Like a Girl and Girls Get Gritty Teams.

Learn more about QT2 Systems at www.qt2systems.com

Contact QT2 Systems at https://qt2systems.com/pages/contact

Have you ever wondered about the life of a professional triathlete? In this podcast series, we interview current and retired QT2 Systems Professional Triathletes, exploring the path to earning (and maintaining) a pro license, the nuts and bolts of training and racing, and the ups and downs along the way. The guests also share how being a pro triathlete shaped their lives, and what advice they would give to their younger selves.

Episode 6 features Doug MacLean. In 2006, at age 26, without any significant swim, bike or run experience, Doug decided to enter the world of triathlon. He raced IRONMAN Coeur d'Alene and IRONMAN Lake Placid in 2017, finishing both in under 11 hours. In December of 2018, Doug decided to dedicate himself to training and racing full time. After a couple of years of being self-coached, Doug came to QT2 Systems in 2009. Under the coaching guidance of Tim Snow, Doug raced his first Kona in 2010, and then in 2011, won the amateur race at IRONMAN Coeur d'Alene, earning his pro license.

Doug jumped straight into the pro circuit, and earned his first paycheck in his second race. Doug raced as a pro from 2011 through 2019, with his most memorable races coming late in his career - IRONMAN Boulder in 2018, and Challenge Roth in 2019. Through triathlon, Doug was able to achieve his childhood goal of becoming a professional athlete.

Learn more about QT2 Systems at www.qt2systems.com

Contact QT2 Systems at https://qt2systems.com/pages/contact

Have you ever wondered about the life of a professional triathlete? In this podcast series, we interview current and retired QT2 Systems Professional Triathletes, exploring the path to earning (and maintaining) a pro license, the nuts and bolts of training and racing, and the ups and downs along the way. The guests also share how being a pro triathlete shaped their lives, and what advice they would give to their younger selves.

Episode 5 features Vinny Johnson. Coming from a swimming background, Vinny raced his first triathlon in 1995, while still in college. After graduating, he fell out of his fitness routine and shifted to an inactive lifestyle. In 2006, motivated by the passing of his high school swim coach, Vinny returned the pool. Swimming was his therapy. Slowly, he re-found his routine, and soon after, looking for a challenge, he signed up for his first 70.3 triathlon. After several years of "ok" age group finishes, Vinny came to QT2 Systems as a Mission Plan athlete. Following a personalized training plan, together with coaching and nutrition guidance, and a focus on strength training, Vinny's performance steadily improved. In 2012, at IRONMAN Lake Placid, he won his age group and earned his pro card.

Vinny immediately accepted his pro card, and went onto race 20 professional 70.3 and 140.6 events over the next three years. He was drawn to the hard races, and pushed himself to find his limits. He made mistakes, and learned from them. He won his final three races, and retired after his win at Beach2Battleship in 2015.

Training for IRONMAN taught him that he can accomplish anything. Consistency breads improvement. Improvement breads confidence.

Learn more about QT2 Systems at www.qt2systems.com

Contact QT2 Systems at https://qt2systems.com/pages/contact