Ironman World Championship Athletes - 2025 Women's Race!

Jeannie Gilbert

Qualifying Race: Ironman California

Years Racing IM World Champs: First time

Training Mantra: Think Strong Be Strong Finish Strong

Favorite Workout: OverUnders on the Bike

One Person that continues to inspire you: All the Challenged athletes who don't let anything stop them from training and racing

What excites me about racing Kona: Just experiencing the World Championship atmosphere. So much excitement, enthusiasm, dedication, and determination.

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Christine Ligocki

Qualifying race: Penticton

Years racing IM World Champs: First time

Training Mantra: Dig deep. You got this. 

Favorite workout: the long run

One person that continues to inspire you: Miranda Carfrae 

What excites you about racing Kona: I’m excited to experience this iconic Ironman course with so many amazing women. 

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Mirna Pokas

Qualifying Race: Ironman California

Years Racing IM World Champs: This is going to be my second Kona

Training Mantra: "Race like you are winning." This doesn’t mean crossing the line first, but showing up with a fearless mindset and confidence both in training and racing, no matter the conditions, no matter my place in the field. It's about pushing without excuses, and owning and enjoying every moment. 

Favorite Workout: Hard to pick just one, but honestly, my favorite workouts are the ones that make me a little nervous - like long bike rides outside on unfamiliar roads, big Zwift sessions indoors, or long runs, any workout that challenges my body and mind.

One person that continues to inspire you: I’m lucky to be surrounded by many people who constantly inspire me. Seeing each teammate show up to training sessions or races with grit and determination, pushing through whatever challenges, setbacks, or injuries they’re facing, it motivates me to give everything I’ve got and to dream big.

What excites you about racing Kona: The atmosphere, the chance to line up with the best athletes in the world, and the legendary conditions that test everything you've got. Being part of the most iconic triathlon race - it’s a dream come true.  

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Robin Sayed

Qualifying Race: Canada IM 2024

Years Racing IM World Champs: This will be my 6th year racing Kona

Training Mantra: This is normal life! 

Favorite Workout: Biking 100+ 

One person that continues to inspire you: Julie Moss since 1982

What excites you about racing Kona: Being with my friends doing what we love to do, hope it inspires others to do so too. 

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Allison Snow

Qualifying Race: Ironman Canada, Penticton 2024

Years Racing IM World Champs: 3rd IM World Championship (St. George, 2nd Kona)

Training Mantra: I get to do this!

Favorite Workout: Any workout where I am fully present and engaged with what I'm doing - not just checking the box and getting it done 

One person that continues to inspire you: Ann Sloan

What excites you about racing Kona: The opportunity to celebrate how much I've grown, and how many more directions I can choose to grow from here

Debby Wilson

Qualifying Race: Legacy Athlete (IM California 2024, validation race)

Years Racing IM World Champs: 2

Training Mantra: One buoy at a time

Favorite Workout: Pulling in the pool with my pool buoy

One person that continues to inspire you: Ann Sloan

What excites you about racing Kona: It is such an honor to get to be in Kona (after 21 years of doing IM races) with an all women field. I'm very excited to experience that special place and momentous occasion with the last and final all girl crew!

Ironman World Championship Athletes - 2025 Men’s Race!

Tom Flynn

Qualifying Race: Penticton

Years Racing IM World Champs: One

Training Mantra: Consistency Pays the Biggest Dividends   

Favorite Workout: Long run with a negative split target

One person that continues to inspire you: My Mom Dorothy, 95-years old and she still has a way better memory that I do 

What excites you about racing in Nice: Beautiful venue, WC vibes, and fun with family 

Eric Maercklein

Years Racing IM World Championships: 2025

Training Mantra: Train long and slow to race fast (I do most of my bike training on a tandem with my wife)

Favorite Workout: "All day" bike ride with 10,000' of hills

One person that continues to inspire you:  Peter Attia - striving to remain competitive with people two decades younger.

What excites you about racing in Nice: I raced 2025 Nice with an injury that prevented me from running, so I decided in advance to race the swim and bike, then walk the entire marathon.  The venue and spectators in Nice were awesome and that made the 7-1/2 hour walk bearable.  One of the nicest things about this race was that most participants added some vacation days before and after the race, so I got to meet lots of them at the scheduled IM events, around Nice, and at various tourist attractions- all the IM swag made it easy to spot the people there for the race and everyone was very friendly!  It was a fantastic trip.

Stefanie Magnuson's Ironman 70.3 Indian Wells Race Report

Team PR Performance had a great showing of six athletes at the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Indian Wells! Following is Stefanie’s Magnuson’s report from this new race on the Ironman 70.3 circuit. Fantastic job, Stefanie and team!

December 9, 2018 - Indian Wells

I signed up for this race within a couple weeks of completing a BRUTAL race in Whistler, where I had a personal WORST due to very very hot temperatures on the run!

Rocky agreed, Indian Wells would be a great race to shoot for; to end the season and to cap off my 45-49AG racing.

For this race, I had a great round of training with Rocky.  I was feeling more focused than in the past and made some pretty good improvements – so I was excited.  But then the rumblings about the cold water started & I began to get very nervous.  Obviously, there was nothing I could do about it – but I was still nervous; I just resigned myself to the fact that I was going to be VERY cold in the water and at the start of the bike.  

Through all my training, I had ideas of finish times etc… but in the couple of days leading up, I decided to let go of time goals and just do what I could on race day.  (I actually do this before every race HA!).

SWIM (47min): It was hard to imagine that such a pretty little lake could be so horrible to swim in.  I think that helped me, mentally.  I did not do a pre-swim at all.  It was not allowed before race day, only the morning of.  I skipped the morning of – just to avoid being cold while waiting to start the race.  Which, in the end – I believe was a wise move.  It took nearly an hour to get in the water.  The first few steps in the water were not bad at all…. By the time I was ALL IN…. yes – it was COLD!!  I took the advice of everyone who knows best – and started slow.  There were a lot of people going in ALL directions and swimming ALL different kinds of strokes.  It was very chaotic.  I got kicked in the face, hit, pushed.  Just glad I didn’t lose my goggles!  It was packed for the whole course – I never had a good line.  Even with all of that, I am pleased with my swim.

T1 (10min!!!): OMG!!! TEN MINUTES??!!  Yep – did the wetsuit & wardrobe struggle with numb hands, there were not enough volunteers to help in the tents.  Then – my bike was nearly 400yds from where I was changing…. Not a recipe for a fast transition.  Oh well!!

BIKE (2:53hr):  On to the ride!  Phew! Started hydrating and eating as soon as I could.  It was kind of rough roads getting out of the lake area, but then, the first hour was smooth and fast – YAY!  After that, the rest of the ride was a mix of somewhat rough roads and headwinds.  Kept my watts in check – which was more great advice.  Kept my head down as much as I could to slip through the headwinds better.  Started getting sick of my nutrition/hydration after a couple hours.  Being in aero for so long seems to mess with my digestion.  So, sips of hydration for the last hour was all I could manage.  I was happy to see T2.

T2 (6min!!!)  OMG – another SLOW transition!!  Ugh!  But, getting off my bike, to switch my watch – it was DEAD!!!  WHAT??!!! So, from that point on, everything was by feel.  I can easily blow myself up by going out too fast – so I forced myself to just be chill.

RUN (2:01hr): I started out feeling pretty good.  It was just so hard to not know where I was pacing.  I asked a few people their pace – to try to gauge, it helped a little, but after a while – I got tired of asking.  I do think, if I’d had my watch, I might have been more consistent & maybe pushed myself a little more.  Those miles on the golf course seems to take FOREVER & it was warming up.  I also had to make a pit stop, which I do at every race.  I was hoping to break 2hrs on the run, I was close – but just didn’t make it.  Again, maybe if I’d had my watch, I could have pulled it off?  Who knows.

FINISH TIME: 5:58

With Rocky’s coaching throughout 2018, I have improved quite a lot and reached my goal of FINALLY breaking 6hrs in a Half Ironman race.  I’m so lucky to be part of a great team that offers so much encouragement and support.  And I look forward to what 2019 brings. 

Stefanie Magnuson at IM 70.3 Canada earlier this year

A Family Affair: Training and Racing Together

The Larson Family

Training and Racing Together

Steel Lake, Federal Way.  It’s where it all started.  Molly and Courtney participated over 11 years ago in their first ever Super Sprint Triathlon.  Spectating from the sidelines, I watched as the girls navigated the swim, bike and run course along with hundreds of other women athletes.  I was inspired and amazed!   Less than a year later I jumped in the waters at Carillon Point for my first ever Sprint Triathlon.  Biking was the only phase that I really was active at, so I was a novice at swimming and running.  Coached by my 2 competitive swim daughters, training started with 25 yards down the length of the pool, rest at the wall, then back down the lane.   Running presented the same challenge.

11 years later, the 3 of us are teammates on Team PR Performance along with our new addition to the family, Mat Signoretty, and our most important support staff, wife and Mom - Kelly.  We have raced in all distances of triathlons, duathlons, running and open water swim events that have spanned from Washington, Idaho, Victoria, California and the Alps in Austria.

All of this could not have taken place without the support of our teammates and coaches.  They are our extended family.  Being able to train together and understand what it takes to cross the finish line on race day is vital.  We all have memories of supportive teammates giving “High 5’s” or words of encouragement along the way.  The motivation and support also comes from our coaches.  Each one us, Molly (Coach Kirsten), Courtney (Coach Drew) and I (Coach Daniel) utilize the talent and guidance our individual coaches provide.  

I am so grateful for the time and opportunity to train and race with my daughters.  The journey has been rewarding and we look forward to continued success in building lasting relationships with our friends on Team PR Performance.

Paul, Molly, Courtney, Mat and Kelly