My Journey - Victoria Triathlete Holly Ouellette
The journey of Victoria triathlete Holly Ouellette begins with the love of the bike to crushing it on the trails. Her resilient and positive attitude drives her love for athletics and thirst for adventure or occasional craft beer. Thanks again Holly for taking the time to share your journey with our nerdy community. There is always something valuable for us to learn in each other's stories. We are excited to highlight our TriNerd and Victoria triathlete, Holly Ouellette. This is her journey.
From triathlon to trail running your journey has taken you on some amazing adventures. What is your story behind your athletic journey and where did it all begin?
I would say my love of cycling started when I was around 19 years old. I was living downtown Toronto without a car and my preferred method of transportation beyond the winter months was by bike.
Anytime I wanted to go camping I would strap my tent, a backpack, and a couple of burritos to a milk crate on the back of my bike and hit the road. I rode all over southern Ontario, my longest ride was 360km from the GTA to Windsor.
5 years ago I moved to the island, that’s when my love for cycling really blossomed. I was training for my first triathlon at Shawnigan in the time that I met Coach Nick, boy was I lucky to meet him a few weeks before my first race. I didn’t even know what a T1 was the morning of race day!
I got into trail running 2 years ago in 2018, a friend and I wanted to see how quickly we could hike the Juan de Fuca trail. We trained up all summer long, by the end of summer we had hiked the entire Juan de Fuca trail (47km) in less than 11 hours. After that, I wanted to continue training so I signed up for a few trail races for the 2019 race season. My favorite race was the Victoria Swim-Run held at Thetis Lake.
It looks like the 2020 race season for many is either cancelled or deferred to the next year. However, are there any races or adventures you have in mind in the future?
YES, this summer I am planning to do a fully self-supported independent ironman distance race. I am also planning a 50km trail run along much of the same course as the Finlayson Arm 50. I am open to anyone joining me on these journeys!
Every athlete is a nerd when it comes to training. What is your favorite gear to train with during your swim, bike, run, or rest & nutrition?
I’m not much of a gear junkie but I do love my Garmin Forerunner 730 watch. It has everything I need for tracking fitness including open water swimming to trail running. For cycling, I love using OVER PAKR bike bags for packing all of my long ride nutrition and apparel, these bike bags made by hand in Victoria!
For recovery, I get regular massage and acupuncture treatments, drink matcha green and have an assortment of medicinal mushrooms to add to my smoothies or homemade power balls. I stick to a plant-based diet with some indulgences which usually include veggies burgers, craft beer, and coconut ice cream.
Do the thing that brings a smile to your face and makes you feel good, chase that. Holly Ouellette
You are a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT). What are the benefits for an athlete to include massage therapy into their training routine?
Massage therapy is a great addition for any athlete. Massage is beneficial for recovery because it promotes healing from stress, stress being anything from overuse injuries to a deadline at work. Massage can help to improve dysfunctional muscles and posture, decrease pain, and improve range of motion. I love working with athletes as an RMT and helping them to achieve their wellness goals.
Any words of wisdom for you can share to people looking to begin an athletic journey?
Whatever it is; rock climbing, hiking, basketball, tennis... find an activity that lights you up. Do the thing that brings a smile to your face and makes you feel good, chase that.
How can our readers follow your adventures in training and triathlon?
You can follow me on instagram @hollyavocado
Last Words
Thanks again to Victoria triathlete Holly Ouellette for sharing her journey with our community.
Are you a triathlete, athlete or adventurer and would like to share your journey with a nerdy community. Send us a DM on our social media. Is there a product you would like to share with our community? Send us a note and we would be happy to have a look at collaborating with your team.