My name is Noella Buchanan, I am the founder of SaBaR for athletes, with its headquarters in southern Tasmania, where I swim and bike and run and have hatched all the ideas which make SabaR a complete triathlon support concept, embracing preparation with coaching guidance, awesome, well fitting clothing and easy to digest, super yummy endurance nutrition.
How did it all come about?
As a child, I never had a competitive bone in my body. Nevertheless, my parents believed in physical exercise and encouraged us 3 kids to try things out. So I joined some obscure sports along the way, from trampoline jumping to lake swimming, circus skills on horseback, table tennis and badminton. I never ran and riding a bright pink bike, my dad got me one year when we were living on a very steep hill, is not a good memory…
I came to running much, much later when I discovered that running through the bush land where I lived, would lift my spirits, made me more resilient and enabled me to return to mundane mother duties somewhat elated and calm. Soon 20 minutes stretched to half an hour and I found a running group to run with. I entered my first fun run and became a passionate trail runner, expanding my distance to 10 – 18 km through some of Tasmania’s most beautiful landscapes and loving it!
Triathlon found me when I heard about a weekend course to “try a TRI”. Remembering the spirit of my upbringing, I signed up and spent four weekends learning to ride a race bike, swim in the ocean with a wetsuit on and run with jelly legs off the bike. Triathlon had me hooked straight away. People often ask me what my favorite “leg” is and I still say that I love transitioning from one to the other, just before I get too bored! Turns out, changing sport mid race is my idea of fun.
I started racing local races the year I turned 46 and three years later represented Australia in the ITU Olympic Distance Triathlon World Championships in London. I was so proud to be wearing the green and gold, my training song was “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” and I had a smile on my jubilant face all the way through the race, no matter my placing.
7 years later and my love and commitment for the sport have only grown. I love this sport because it gives anybody the opportunity to participate, on a grassroots level, right through to international competition, no matter what age or gender you are and you certainly don’t have to be the fastest in the world.
A few things are a must:
- You have to have gear that works for you
- You have to wear clothes that suit your shape, size and sport
- You have to use the right nutrition for your specific sport/ distance and personal taste
- You have to feel and get strong in body and mind
- You have to have fun J
- You have to feel proud of all your achievements
- You have to have support and guidance
And all that is SaBaR!