However, as most young athletes do, I got disillusioned with the sport. Sick of being last in drafting races and constantly banging my head off a brick wall with swimming, I gave it up! I met my husband Simon Marshall and together we moved out to San Diego (ironic really that I should give up triathlon when actually moving to the birthplace of triathlon).

Always having been a creative little thing (I got my BA degree in Drama), I decided to do my Masters degree in Theater. I flourished under my new found career path and began climbing my next impossible ladder to success: Hollywood.  I started acting in student films and then independent films (so far I have 17 of them under my belt), until I met my now writing-producing partner Ian Stokell. Together we formed our own production company called Sliding Down Rainbows Entertainment Inc., and we have since produced several short films and our first feature film: www.interglacialromance.com. More recently we acquired the rights to the WW1 novel All Quiet on the Western Front, and have written an amazing script with the hope of getting a director and some talent attached!

So, through all of this soul searching and artistic expression (not to mention 5 years),  I actually realized I missed competing. I started slowly with running (hey why not start with your strengths right?), and after winning a few races, I found that I had a different approach to the sport. I genuinely enjoyed training, I genuinely enjoyed racing and what’s more, my body felt different. It felt more mature and I guess I had a better understanding of how it worked. I didn’t want to do drafting races anymore, I needed to find a sport that suited my strengths instead of crippling me because of my weaknesses….and thats when I found Xterra. Dirt, hills and cool people! I’ll have me some of that!

So now I am double World Xterra Champ, I can safely say its good to be back!! And I am STILL so excited about whats to come in my training and racing, the film stuff is getting there and married life is sweet….