Elizabeth Mondon is no stranger to Jamaican amateur sports, with stellar professional-like performances across multiple events including marathons, sprints, swimming and triathlons.

The 39-year-old coastal engineer has no intention of slowing down as she is now in pursuit of the 2019 IRONMAN World Championship title in France on September 17, 2019.

Mondon delivered a time of 5:09:00 in the qualifiers in Puerto Rico which she aims to better by September. In preparation for the big day, she has been participating in smaller events such as the Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run where she placed first with a time of 00:21:28 and soon, the annual Jakes Off-Road Triathlon where she hopes to defend her championship title.

Though she uses these events as a part of her training regimen, Mondon shared that the pacing for Ironman and triathlons is very different. “When training for the IRONMAN I focus less on sprinting and more on finding a balanced rhythm, which is neither too fast nor too slow. In the triathlon, it’s all about speed, which is a bit nerve-wracking,” said Mondon.

Nevertheless, the ‘pro-amateur’ has declared that she is aiming to defend her title once more. “Before having my son, my times for the Jakes Triathlon ranged between 1:31:00 and 1:33:00. I am aiming to score these times or lower, ” declared Mondon.

While there are many 5K runs, Mondon has few opportunities to partake in local triathlons in preparation for the IRONMAN in September. Now approaching its 24th staging, the Malta-sponsored Jakes Triathlon will see over 150 athletes engaged in a 300m swim event, a 25K mountain bike race, and a 7K off-road trail run.

“We are very excited to have Elizabeth on our team in the Jakes Triathlon this year again! She is a focused and sharp athlete and we know she will represent us and the country well in the IRONMAN championships in France,” said Malta’s Junior Brand Manager Michelle Cunningham.

The triathlon has a number of sponsors to aid runners in staying hydrated and energised, Among them D&G Malta, which will be refueling athletes before the race and at the finishing line.