This is Elite Triathlete Laurin Thorne
Elite triathlete Laurin Thorne is a natural-born athlete. Laurin was never a stranger to triathlon. With Ironman triathlon parents the sport is in her DNA and the energy is flowing through her veins. Her relentless courage and determination have sent her traveling to various destinations representing Canada. Not to mention, her career is packed with support by family, friends and fans as she continues to inspire the world to find their best. Elite triathlete Laurin Thorne gives us a glimpse into her story and what it takes to become an elite champion. This is Laurin Thorne's journey.
You are a Wonder Woman in triathlon, representing Canada and inspiring others to take on challenges. What’s your story behind triathlon and what about it got you hooked on the sport?
Both of my parents competed in Ironmans when I was very young, so I was introduced to the sport early on. For as long as I can remember I would race in the local community triathlons just as something fun to do with my summer.
I was enrolled in the Cascade Swim Club of Calgary, AB, when I was 5 years old. When I was 13 years old, I discovered my natural ability to run by entering in track meets and breaking Western Canadian records within my first few races - solely based on swimming fitness. Up until this point, all I knew was swimming, so this sparked a new idea. From then on, I continued to swim with my club and joined a track team (University of Calgary Athletics Club). Up until I was 18, I continued to train in a swim club and run track - I never biked.
A few years later I raced in the Junior Elite Triathlon Series (age 16-19), which is staged in the summer all over Canada. When I put my swimming and running together, I placed well enough in triathlons that I was asked to join Canada’s Rising Star program. It wasn’t until I was halfway through my Grade 12 year when I made the tough decision to leave my swim club (after 11 years) and my track club to join an actual triathlon team (3433 Sport Performance Centre). Because of how I raced that following summer, I was offered a spot at the National Performance Centre in Victoria, and this got me to where I am today.
Maintaining a balanced life between work, training and everything else is a challenge unto itself! With your brilliant achievements and commitments, how do you balance this lifestyle?
When it comes down to it, I believe being successful in whatever you dedicate your time to involves time management. I have my daily training schedule posted on the app ‘Training Peaks’ and an agenda for my day to day class work from school. I find that I have to plan out my week in advance for when I will get my school work done to ensure I can optimize training and reach peak performance in sessions. It also helps doing one weekly grocery shop to maximize the rest of your time.
I have learned that it is very important to realize when you have to pack in your work for the night to still get a good night’s sleep. I have been guilty of pulling late hours studying for exams, to only perform sub-par in training the next day. With a lack of sleep, I not only minimize performance, but as I think all us know, we don’t feel great the next day and our mood may be suboptimal. To be able to perform on demand, whether that is physical training, work, or school, it is crucial to constantly have good sleeping hours and set a sleeping time.
Every athlete is a nerd when it comes to training. What is your favourite gear to train with during your swim, bike, run, or rest & nutrition?
For swimming, one thing that I am picky about is my goggles. Since I started swimming at the age of 5, I have always been wearing Vanquishers. I own so many pairs and they all have different tints to them to accommodate for varying lightning in open water swimming.
My favourite biking gear has to include my Cannondale SystemSix. It looks fast, and the components and structure of the bike live up to its aesthetics. The handling on it is probably the best that I have ever had for a bike, and takes the corners so smoothly. It’s crazy how much a bike can include performance. My first time riding it was about a year ago, and on that ride I set an all-time 5min power in a TT.
Hoka’s for running has to be my favourite shoe, I swear by them. I used to get many achilles and lower body injuries. My sports doctor told me to switch to Hoka’s, and I have been healthier since. It takes about 3 weeks to get used to them because they are very cushioned, but after running in them you won’t want to switch.
For nutrition, I am a huge fan of drinking Rumble (a supershake) as a post recovery drink, or even something I take on the go for extra fuel in my day. The nutrition components go beyond anything I would normally ingest and fills the void of missing supplements in my day.
How can our readers follow your adventures in training and triathlon?
Out of all the media platforms, my most used is Instagram! I’m very active on the app, maybe a little too much, but I’m always open to questions or comments. I keep fairly up to date with training and racing posts. (@laurinthorne)
Please feel free to give a shout out to your sponsors below! And any tips you might have for other athletes!
I would love to give a shoutout to Rumble and Fort Street Cycle. They have been so kind to me and also do amazing work in the community.
Rumble is run by the most charismatic people and they always go beyond expectations for projects they are involved in. At the beginning of this pandemic, they donated almost 11,000 cartons of Rumble to the Mustard Seed for those in need. I am really proud to be a part of the team. Their super shakes fill an empty niche that our market had. They are tasteful, portable, and good for you.
I cannot thank Fort Street Cycle enough for everything they have done for me. They have put me on amazing bikes and helped me get loaded up with gear. From all the bike shops that I have visited in Victoria, Fort Street always provides amazing service whether it involves bike mechanics or other equipment. They are very professional yet easy-going at the same time, and will always leave you 100% satisfied. They do phenomenal work, and they do it fast! It’s a real community in the shop and I am so lucky to be a part of it.