Profile and Achievements
I am new to triathlon and duathlon, but have a quite a history in athletics. As a junior, I was one of the top German 800m runners, even featured on the podium in multi-events and held a couple of regional records over 800m and the 3000m steeple. Although my career was disrupted by potentially career threatening injuries, I managed to bounce back and was offered a Division I Athletics Scholarship at Boston University. A consistent member of the team covering events from 400 m to the mile and cross country, I qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships for 800m in 1997, was part of the record setting 4x800m relay, won multiple America East Conference titles Indoors over 500m, 1000m and the relay and helped the team secure an unprecedented series of Conference wins in Cross Country and Indoor track and field. It was all crowned by being part of the first ever women's team to qualify for the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 1999.
After my college career, I turned into a bit of a leisure athlete, mainly just keeping fit and doing the occasional race. When I started my PhD, I also returned to competitive running as part of the Stirling University Athletics team and competing with Belgrave Harriers. With Stirling University, we were crowned Scottish University Champions 3 years in a row and I helped Belgrave Harriers win a Silver Medal at the Southern England Road Relays. A heel spur stopped a promising season in its early stages, just when I had come within 15 seconds of my all-time 10km record. This was when I started swimming and cycling with the University of Stirling triathlon team. An account of my first attempts at swimming can be found on the New-to-tri website. After my first triathlon, I moved to London but work and the final stages of my PhD slowed my triathlon endeavours. But in 2011 after it was all done, I got back into it and with just 3 months of solid training managed to qualify for the GB Age Group team for the Sprint Triathlon World Championships in Beijing and gaining automatic qualification for the Sprint Triathlon European Championships in Eilat (2012). I won entry to the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon in San Francisco and finished a surprising 7th in my age group, having never before swum in the sea. Read about how I escaped from Alcatraz on the Christine Escapes from Alcatraz blog.
2011
Qualified outright for Team GB for
ITU Sprint Triathlon World Championships 2011 in Beijing/ China
ETU Sprint Triathlon European Championships 2012 in Eilat/ Israel
6th - National Sprint Triathlon Championships, Speedy Beaver, in AG
7th - Escape from Alcatraz, San Francisco (2nd fastest bike split, 4th fastest run)
8th - National Club Relay Championships with One Triathlon RDS
2nd - Cambridge Triathlon (3rd fastest bike, fastest run), clocking a sub-2:30 time - first Olympic Distance tri
2011
Qualified outright for Team GB for
ITU Sprint Triathlon World Championships 2011 in Beijing/ China
ETU Sprint Triathlon European Championships 2012 in Eilat/ Israel
6th - National Sprint Triathlon Championships, Speedy Beaver, in AG
7th - Escape from Alcatraz, San Francisco (2nd fastest bike split, 4th fastest run)
8th - National Club Relay Championships with One Triathlon RDS
2nd - Cambridge Triathlon (3rd fastest bike, fastest run), clocking a sub-2:30 time - first Olympic Distance tri