COVER STORY
RIDING
HIGH
It takes determination, passion and a fighting
spirit to succeed in sports. Jenny Alter is taking
the United States polo scene by storm, but not
before she conquered the demanding world of
triathlon. She chats to Kirsten Curtis about
the similarities, differences and challenges of
making the switch from swimming, cycling and
running to riding high on the polo field.
ow did you get into the sport
of triathlon? On a business
trip I sat next to a young
woman on the airplane who
told me about the sport and the training
leading up to a race. She invited me to
attend a local triathlon club meeting to
hear more. After that meeting, I realised
I was totally up for the challenge and set
my training and race goals then and there.
Once training started, I was hooked. I hit
the ground running, literally. That plane
ride changed my life and I gained a great
friend for life. My first triathlon was
in July 2010 and I officially retired on
3 August 2015.
What was your greatest triathlon
accomplishment? My biggest
accomplishment during triathlon
was the first time I won a race. I raced
it a year before and came in sixth.
I studied the times I would need
to win. I trained for a year and measured
my progress towards my goal time.
The run was a hilly trail run so I trained
running seven miles (11km) up the Santa
Monica mountains to get stronger. When
I won the race, I teared up and smiled
from ear to ear with excitement. Winning
is the greatest feeling in competitive
sports. I then reflected on how that girl
on the airplane completely changed
PHOTOGRAPH: DAVID POTTER
FROM TRI TO