A few years ago, I remember telling myself it was “too late” to jump into an elite triathlon. Funny how the mind works—much like I once thought it was “too late” to invest and then watched as markets soared. The French Riviera triathlon brought that reminder front and center: there’s never a bad moment to discover a new horizon. Under choppy swimming conditions, 55 male athletes duked it out in a dynamic race environment that left me inspired to keep pursuing mid-season form, no matter how late the race calendar seems.

The event kicked off with a beach start—always a quick adrenaline boost. While I’ve done some intense surf entries before, the chop of the French Riviera was another level, forcing competitors to adapt on the fly. Early in the swim, local athletes leveraged their home advantage, navigating shifting tides like seasoned pros. Athletes contended with jellyfish stings and low visibility, turning the swim into an exercise in adaptation rather than just raw speed. True to what I’ve learned before: “All you need to do is keep moving forward—even if you’re stumbling—it’s still progress.”

If you’ve been on the triathlon circuit long enough, you know that a technical bike course can make or break your race strategy—and that’s exactly what unfolded here. Hayden Wilde and Alex Yee, familiar names from the Olympic seasons, found themselves threading tight corners alongside formidable athletes like Miguel Hidalgo and Ricardo Batista. While the course was generally fast, it demanded sharp navigation skills and a willingness to take risks in tight spots.

I flashed back to one of my first big races, when I was so focused on gaining speed that I missed the importance of positioning in a crowd. The cyclists who rode best here found that delicate balance: they mashed the pedals hard but knew exactly where to push and when to stay safe. My guess? They racked up some hard-earned performance testing sessions in prior training camps to perfect group handling.

Elite athletes bring a fierce vibe—everyone is chasing championship points and eyeing the Grand Final in Wollongong later in the season. Observing the race dynamics of Hayden Wilde, Matthew Hauser, and Alex Yee, you see a special blend of camaraderie and competition. They respect each other’s athletic performance but also know a single slip can change the outcome. Personally, I’ve learned that balancing friendly banter with a winner’s mindset keeps me grounded while fueling the will to push harder.

Like Lionel Sanders, Mr. No Limits himself, says: if you want to win, you have to be ready for anything. These top-tier triathletes showed that resilience by showing up, adapting to the environment, and pushing through injuries and fatigue.