Spotlight on Hurdle Project Team Member: Pro Triathlete Jackson Laundry

Following up on my interview with Coach James Loaring about the LPC Hurdle Project…I wanted to showcase one of the talented Hurdle Project team members: Jackson Laundry.

2015 Hurdle Project Team. Photo Credit - Pixelate Image Professional Photography

Jackson is a rising force in the triathlon world, winning numerous races this summer across the province and the overall Multisport Canada Series. He’s got a great future ahead of him as a pro triathlete.

I actually conducted this interview early in the summer, but wanted to time it for after the introduction to the Hurdle Project. Alas, the summer went by way too quickly, so it's now it's a little bit of a retrospective interview. But it’s actually fascinating to see what Jackson’s goals were leading into the summer given how well he’s done since.

To find out more about Jackson and to follow his triathlon career, you can find him online at www.jacksonlaundry.com  and on twitter (@jacklaundry93).

Big thanks to Jackson for waiting so patiently for this interview to be posted – and for sharing such wonderful insights about his experience in triathlon and his participation in the Hurdle project. Can't wait to see what the future holds for this talented triathlete!

Now on with the interview!

Tell me a bit about your background - how did you get into triathlon

I got into the sport in 2004 (age 10) when I participated in the Belleville Kids of Steel Triathlon. In my age category I was last out of 64 in the swim portion! I was pretty disappointed at the time, but for the next 5 years or so I did the Picton Kids of Steel race each year, always without much training. Then in 2009 my dad and I “trained” (did about 4 weeks of training) for the Peterborough Sprint Triathlon. Ever since then I’ve slowly but surely increased my focus and seen improvements.

 

What's been your greatest accomplishment in triathlon and/or in life - so far?

My biggest accomplishment in triathlon has been winning 2 world age-group medals for the 2013 and 2014 sprint and Olympic distance triathlon championships.  After winning the bronze in Edmonton I felt I had accomplished everything I wanted to in the age-group division and was ready to move on to pro racing.

My greatest non-triathlon related accomplishment was graduating from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Kinetics with a Nutrition minor.  I am proud to say that I was able to balance full time schooling with training at a professional level.

You've already had a great start to this racing season with the overall win at Multisport Canada's Woodstock Triathlon. What are your big goals for 2015 (and beyond?)

This season I have 2 main goals, the first is to race well in some pro non drafting races (The New York City Triathlon and the Des Moines Triathlon). The second goal is to race well in draft legal races, which will give me a good chance for Quest for Gold funding. The races are is Magog, Ottawa, and Punta Guilarte. I guess I just mainly want to perform well in the “big” races with a competitive pro field.

How did you get involved in LPC and the Hurdle Project?

I have been a member of team LPC since well before the Hurdle Project was officially launched, so I was able to become part of it as it developed from the ground up. I earned my spot on the squad presumably by being dedicated to high performance, and by having pretty good success since joining team LPC.

How is being involved in the Hurdle Project helping you work toward and achieve your goals?

The Hurdle Project is immensely helpful in my triathlon career. It helps by covering a lot of training and racing costs, and providing very affordable but highly specific coaching. James Loaring puts a lot of time and effort into the Hurdle Project and gives the most effective coaching possible to the HP athletes.

You have some excellent fellow Hurdle Project Squad members. Do you find being part of a group makes a difference?

Being part of a group helps me mainly by making training more fun, which provides a lot more motivation to get the work done. We have a wide range of ability levels within our team, but James is able to modify workouts so everyone has a similar training plan, and can choose to do many workouts with team mates. There are also weekly workouts, like brick workouts, that all LPC athletes are welcome to attend.

Looking at the bigger picture, why do programs like the Hurdle Project matter for the sport of triathlon?

Support programs for athletes are very important for the development of elite athletes. The costs of triathlon (and other sports) can get very high, and athletes who want to improve need to train a lot. These are conflicting realities, because more training means less time to work, which makes it hard to pay for the sport. Support programs are necessary for making the sport more affordable, which will help developing athletes reach their goals.

Is there anything you'd like to say about being involved in the Hurdle Project that I wouldn't think to ask?

The Hurdle Project is a great way for a business to advertise for their company. If you visit the Hurdle Project Sponsorship Levels page on www.loaringpersonalcoaching.com you can see that there are many advertising opportunities that can be taken advantage of by any company that wants to support the program.
 

How can people follow your triathlon journey?

The best way to follow my triathlon endeavors is by visiting my blog/website at www.jacksonlaundry.com or following me on twitter (@jacklaundry93).
 

Wasaga Beach Triathlon (2015)

 

 

Big thanks again to Jackson for taking time out of his busy triathlon season to talk to me about his experiences with the Hurdle Project! Thanks Jackson!