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Athlete Spotlight: From beginner to 2 x Ironman finisher with Bec Baird

Nov 19, 2021

Athlete Spotlight: From beginner to 2 x Ironman finisher with Bec Baird

I spoke with one of my longest-standing clients ever, Rebecca Baird about her journey through triathlons and what she has learnt about nutrition along the way.

Here’s what she had to say:

Some background about Bec

Bec is a single mum to Roy and lives in Mackay. She works as a podiatrist and first got into triathlons in 2015 after playing and coaching netball. She has since competed in many triathlons of all distances including 70.3 and two Ironmans.

Bec’s Plans for the next 2 years

Mooloolaba Tri next year in March
Looking into the ultra-running scene – either 50 or 100km
Ironman distance again in 2023

What made her decide to invest in a Sports Dietitian?

She read a blog post about another triathlete and how she'd been training for ages and had put on weight while doing massive volume even though she thought she was eating okay. She'd been to see her friend Taryn at Dietitian Approved...

Dietitian Approved Crew – Annabel Rothfield

Feb 14, 2019

Watch out for this legend who is toeing the start line at her first-ever 70.3 at Geelong this weekend. Together with training buddy and cousin Phoebe. We’ve been privileged to be a part of their triathlon journeys so asked them to share who they are and what they do.

These two were complete beginners 3 years ago. Now, look at them go as they climb the triathlon ranks. Ironman next year ladies?

Current home location: Melbourne, Australia

Profession background:
Student

Sport of Choice:
Triathlon

How many years have you been training and competing in your sport?
3 years

What got you into it in the first place?
I had just finished school and was looking for a hobby. My cousin, Phoebe sent me a link to a triathlon beginner course and asked me if I wanted to do it. I already owned a bike so I thought “Why not?”

What’s your favourite training session?
Saturday long rides

Main event for 2019?
Geelong 70.3 Woooo!

Looking ahead to 2020 and beyond, what are your...

Dietitian Approved Crew – Phoebe Rothfield

Feb 14, 2019

Watch out for this legend who is toeing the start line at her first-ever 70.3 at Geelong this weekend. Together with training buddy and cousin Annabel. We’ve been privileged to be a part of their triathlon journeys so asked them to share who they are and what they do.

These two were complete beginners 3 years ago. Now, look at them go as they climb the triathlon ranks. Ironman next year ladies?

Current location: Armadale, a gorgeous suburb in Melbourne, Victoria

Professional background:
Partnership Manager at Crocmedia where I implement and manage media campaigns for big brands such as McDonald's, Kubota, Greyhound Racing Victoria. I’m also hopefully about to start volunteering at Ronald McDonald House Charities!

Sport of Choice:
Originally I came from a Field Hockey background having played since the age of 10 as well as partaking in Athletics, Rowing and Snowboarding (have you seen my quads?). I still do play Hockey in the Victorian Premier...

Dietitian Approved Crew - Julie Davidson

Aug 31, 2018

“I turned into a Fitness freak and never thought I would learn so much about how my body and mind were connected and what I was truly capable of.”

It all started when I got divorced. Yes, life took a turn I wasn’t expecting but it lead me down a path of health and fitness. I started doing Body Building as a distraction and yes if you’re wondering, it’s the sport where you just eat chicken, broccoli and rice! Well not entirely true, but it definitely was a very strict way of eating. I did feel great, but it wasn’t really a good idea long term as it took me 20 weeks to prepare for 40 minutes of gratification. I came 2nd in Queensland in my first competition and was blown away with how much my body changed. I did this a couple of times but it really was a lot of hard work and it taught me some really bad habits about nutrition and flogging yourself at the gym.

I wanted to learn everything I could about health and fitness...

Dietitian Approved Crew - Megan Piccardi

Aug 24, 2018

Current location: Brisbane

Profession background: Lawyer

Sport of choice: Powerlifting & sometimes runner

How many years have your been training for: I have been training for just over 2 1/2 years.

What got you into it? For running, I was never really a runner and decided one day that I wanted to push myself and do a fun run. My first fun run was City 2 South in Brisbane and I loved it! If you are a runner, you will understand that running & fun runs are addictive so I kept looking for fun runs to enter which lead me to the Vienna City Half Marathon & Disneyland Half Marathon. I love running overseas as it is a great way to see the sights and it keeps you accountable while you are overseas.

I got into powerlifting as I had just started strength training and I really enjoyed it. I changed gyms and felt a little insecure in the weights area so I got in touch with Alesha Pimm from Building Elite to help me gain some confidence...

Dietitian Approved Crew - John Alexander

Jul 31, 2018

Introducing John! The Fit Chef.

In the last few years, John has literally turned his life around. Peaking at 182kg and getting puffed chasing his daughter around, John knew he had to do something. One step at a time (literally) he’s lost a whopping 70kg. He now loves to ride flat out with the CCC boys and is gearing up for 160km at the Noosa Classic this month. Welcome to the #DietitianApprovedCrew Chef!

Name: John Alexander

Current home location (where you live): Tingalpa (Bayside Brisbane)

Profession/Educational background: Executive Chef

Sport of Choice: Cycling with a side of Triathlon

How many years have you been training and competing in your sport? I have been cycling for a bit over 2 years now

What got you into it in the first place? When I started riding I was 186.4kg. Cycling was the next step for me to get fit and drop weight. It was a laugh as I was on a mountain bike to start off with and a 15km ride was an EPIC...

Reflections of a 2 x Iron(wo)man

Jul 09, 2018

“I feel Ironman is achievable for everyone, don’t be intimidated by the distance, embrace the challenge. You won’t regret it”
— Bec Baird

I never thought I’d do an Ironman. Triathlon was just another way to challenge myself – except my challenges just kept getting bigger and bigger! I believe that every race is a learning experience and I try to find new ways to improve when I reflect post-race. Now that I have 2 Ironman’s (IM) under my belt, here are the Top Three things I learnt from and changed between Ironman 1 in Cairns 2017 and Ironman 2 for Ironman Australia in Port Macquarie 2018.

Fuel Your Body – In the lead up to IM Cairns, I was not consuming enough food during training to fuel my everyday needs, cue falling asleep at 2 pm during work and lots of hangry moments. IM Australia was much more organised. I followed a periodised nutrition plan from Dietitian Approved to ensure there was...

Sarah's Tips for the First Time Ironman

Jun 11, 2018

Now that she’s an Ironman, we asked Sarah to reflect on her experiences and share what she learnt from the day. Here are her top 5 tips for anyone out there embarking on their own first Ironman journey.

STICK TO THE PLAN!! The days leading up to the race and particularly on race day, you’ll be a ball of nerves and not thinking clearly at all. No matter what advice you receive from the well-meaning seasoned athletes who have done a billion Ironman races already… Never, ever, steer away from the plan. DO WHAT YOUR DIETITIAN TELLS YOU. The golden rule of racing – never try anything new on race day!
ENJOY YOURSELF. Make sure you enjoy every second of the race because the day goes by way too fast. On the day you are so busy caught up in staying focused that the hours just fly by you. No matter how exhausted you are, take in that finish line chute because they really make you feel like a rockstar.
DON’T EVER DOUBT YOURSELF! When you...

Dietitian Approved Crew - Sarah Leuenberger

Apr 16, 2018

Introducing Sarah!

Sarah came to see us in August 2017 with the primary goal to get off the couch and keep Hubby happy on the weekends after big training sessions. She’s gone from strength to strength and is gearing up for her Ironman debut at Port Macq in a few weeks time. We’re excited to share her story with you and can’t wait to see her become an IronWoman next month.

Name: Sarah Leuenberger

Current home location (where you live): Brisvegas

Profession background: Assistant bean counter studying to be an official bean counter (accounting)

Sport of Choice: Triathlon

How many years have you been training and competing in your sport? 3 years since my first triathlon

What got you into it in the first place?
I have always been interested in triathlon but was never brave enough to try one (plus I couldn’t run down the street even if a pack of wolves were chasing me :). My work offered free entry to a friendly...

Noosa Race Recap

Nov 12, 2017

It was the night before my first ever Olympic Distance Triathlon. After 10 months of preparation, I was ready, albeit incredibly nervous. Sitting down to a home-cooked dinner with my support crew, I felt like the biggest kid eating my large bowl of pasta, side of garlic bread, all washed down with pasito (dietitians orders). As I forced it down (nerves!) I looked enviously at my friends casually enjoying their pizza and wine without a care in the world. All I wanted to do was grab the Shiraz and neck it myself! I called it an early night and before I knew it, the alarm was going off. With a blink, it was race day. Ahhhh!!!

My first thought that morning was, “I can’t wait to wake up tomorrow and not feel so nervous”. I knew I was prepared and I knew I would finish, but that didn’t stop the pre-race butterflies. I got myself ready, feeling like livestock being marked up; right arm tattoo, left calf tattoo, left ankle tag… It was soon time to leave for...

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Athlete Spotlight: From beginner to 2 x Ironman finisher with Bec Baird

Some background about Bec

Bec’s Plans for the next 2 years

What made her decide to invest in a Sports Dietitian?

Introducing John! The Fit Chef.

Introducing Sarah!

Join the Dietitian Approved Crew!

Stay connected with news and updates!