PEOPLE » KATHERINE KELLY LANG
Had you been to South Africa or
the Eastern Cape before? What did
you enjoy most about the country
and area? And did you add much
of a holiday onto your trip? I was in
South Africa a long time ago judging
Miss World. I didn’t get to see much of
the country then. But during this trip for
IRONMAN I was able to mix and mingle
with the people and see some different
areas. Besides doing the race, I also
did a lot of press for The Bold and the
Beautiful while I was in Port Elizabeth,
as well as in Johannesburg and Cape
Town. It is such a beautiful country,
with people who have a lot of heart and
passion for life. We made a special visit
to Nelson Mandela’s house in Soweto
and did a helicopter tour around Cape
Town. I did some segments for Top
Billing and the Expresso Morning Show
too. It was amazing!
You’re a founding board member
of Women For Tri. Tell us about the
initiative and what it means to you.
Why do you think it’s important to
encourage women to participate in
triathlon and what progress is being
seen in numbers? I am so honoured to
have been a part of Women For Tri from
the inception. I love supporting women
and do that whenever I can. There has
been a huge jump in numbers since we
started. A lot of woman are becoming
involved in triathlon all over the world, and
signing up for races. There is an amazing
group of women in South Africa called
Ketsh Up – they are helping women in
triathlon too. It is important for women to
have the support they need to accomplish
the things that they do and Women For Tri
is there for them whatever level and ability
that they are at in the sport of triathlon. It
helps us believe that ‘anything is possible’.
ALWAYS ON THE GO, from top: on the
bike in PE; giving back as part of the
IRONMAN Foundation; on set as Brooke
Logan; modelling one of her kaftans.
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You took part in the 2015 IRONMAN
World Championship in Kona to
raise funds for Women for Tri.
What was it like competing on the
hallowed grounds of triathlon on
Hawaii’s hot, windy and humid Big
Island? To be able to race in Kona, the
biggest race of triathlon, was such an
honour and a check on my bucket list!
And to raise money for Women For Tri
was the icing on the cake. I am still in
awe that I competed in this race and
was amazed at how my body held up
considering my legs were cramping on
the swim and dealing with the winds and
the heat on the bike. It was the hottest
year ever in 2015. People were falling
off their bikes with heat exhaustion. The
run was the most difficult for me. But
my coach, Dave Scott, prepared me
well. I was ready to deal with anything
that came up and keep surging forward.
It was like a dream when I crossed the
finish line and heard Mike Reilly call my
name and say “Katherine Kelly Lang,
you are an IRONMAN”. And my other
half, Dominique Zoida, was right there
to take me into his arms and give me a
big hug and kiss and congratulations.
His support and love has given me
incredible strength.
What’s been your favourite
IRONMAN event to date? I’d have
to say Kona! It’s just so iconic. And
the energy around that race week is
incredible. Rubbing elbows with the
best of the best in triathlon is quite an
experience.
Who do you look up to in the world
of tri? There are so many people I
admire and respect in the world of
triathlon. I can’t name them all because
there are a lot of them... Two coaches
and world champions that I had the
pleasure to work with and look up to
are Siri Lindley and Dave Scott. Some
of the women athletes that inspire me
are Meredith Kessler, Angela Naeth,
Caroline Steffen, Mirinda Carfrae.
Some of the male athletes are Crowie
Alexander, Frederik Van Lierde, Tim Van
Berkel, Josh Amberger. There are so
many that I could go on and on! And of
course, I love Mike Reilly! Nobody calls
out a name like he does. He has been
there for 40 years to support and be a
positive influence in the lives of so many.
I can’t wait to read his book Mike Reilly,
Finding My Voice. I am sure he has a lot
of great inspirational tales to tell.
they were right! Everyone was so nice
and friendly, and everyone was out
on the course cheering! The Bold and
the Beautiful is very popular in SA so
everyone knows me as Brooke Logan
from the show, so they kept cheering for
Brooke! I loved it! I actually ran my fastest
half marathon in a 70.3 because of this.
The fans gave me a huge boost.