Three-time Ironman 70.3 Middle East Championship winner Holly Lawrence would like to add a fourth title to her kitty tomorrow but is more focused on just enjoying herself during the race in which more than 1,200 professional and amateur triathletes from 80 countries will take part.
Lawrence, 32, won the championship three consecutive times from 2017, her first appearance, to 2019. They are among the 17 championships the Somerset native has won around the world, including the 2016 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia.
“It would be great if I did win again but, honestly, when I enter a competition, I don’t focus on winning, I just try to do the best I can,” Lawrence told the GDN in an exclusive interview after a Press conference featuring her Bahrain Victorious 13 teammates, South African Henri Schoeman, Frenchman Vincent Luis and herself.
“And I absolutely love coming to Bahrain. When I first came here in 2017, I was – and still am – based in the United States and, honestly, hadn’t travelled very much.
“But, then, I came here after signing with Bahrain Victorious 13 soon after my world championship win and was really blown away by the new, amazing level of support. Everyone here is super-welcoming and so friendly. Plus, I loved the food. That’s why it’s really fun to be here in this race.”
Lawrence heaped praise on Bahrain Victorious 13 owner, His Majesty King Hamad’s representative for humanitarian works and youth affairs, Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
“He’s amazing,” she said. “He’s racing tomorrow also and he’s really involved in the team. He’s really fun and engaged and it’s great to see all that he’s doing for Bahrain, the sports scene here, for the kids and everything.”
Lawrence, herself, with her ready smile and easygoing manner, is also a buoyant, positive personality.
A fraternal triplet, born to working-class parents, Phillip and Angela, along with siblings, Abigail and Luke, Lawrence moved to Swansea to study sports science, before going on to represent Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and eventually being encouraged by a US-based coach to move to California after which her career as a triathlete really took off.
“My parents worked extremely hard to ensure that their children had the kind of opportunities that they, themselves, didn’t,” she explained. “So I really owe all this to them.
“Also, it made sense to go to Swansea University because it’s a satellite centre for British Triathlon in Wales. But, then, I moved to Los Angeles because a coach there really believed in me and things dramatically changed from there.”
After overcoming a persistent injury that hampered her during competitions in 2015, Lawrence’s star shone brightly in 2016 and 2017 as she won practically every championship she participated in.
After the 2016 world championship win in Australia, Lawrence won the uniquely-named Escape from Alcatraz, 70.3 Mont-Tremblant and the Beijing International.
Then, in 2017, she won the 70.3 Oceanside, 70.3 St. George, 70.3 Santa Rosa and made it back-to-back wins in the 70.3 Mont-Tremblant.
“I think my success was partly due to the fact that I had told myself not to worry about the stress of wanting to win a competition,” Lawrence explained.
“I had learned, by then, to focus on myself instead of aiming for arbitrary goals. And, in the long run, it really paid off. Now, even winning races is about having the best performance I can deliver.”
That is all Lawrence is focused on for tomorrow’s race: delivering her best performance and not worrying about where she will finish.
“It’s a bit like my first race here in 2017,” she said, laughing as she recounted some memorable moments from that championship.
“Daniela Ryf, the Swiss triathlete, who’s won the 70.3 world championship five times, was considered the likely winner that year. Instead, I won. I think it was because I was having so much fun.
“During the race, people along the route were holding up signs that said things like ‘Push here to go faster!’ so we were slapping those signs as we ran past. It was wonderful sharing that energy with the crowd and I ended up winning the championship!”
Lawrence hopes to experience the same atmosphere tomorrow.
“I’m sure it will be the same,” she smiled.
“I just hope that my bicycle – which got delayed in transit and is expected to arrive in Bahrain later tonight – finally gets here.”
Some more pro athletes had entered the conference room behind her and, before Lawrence left to join them for a briefing, she shared an anecdote from one of her races in Bahrain.
“I have a photograph – I’m not sure which year it was – where I’m coming out of the water,” she said.
“And, you know, you have some volunteers who help you get on to dry land after the swimming part. Only, as I reached up to grasp any of the hands that were reaching out for me, one of the arms that I finally gripped was Shaikh Nasser’s. He was right there – that’s how involved he is in this championship.”