Chrissie Wellington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Chrissie Wellington
OBE

Wellington winning the 2008 Frankfurt Ironman
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Muppet The Chrissinator
Born	(1977-02-18) 18 February 1977 (age 48) Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Alma mater	University of Birmingham University of Manchester
Agent	Lizzie Chapman, Wasserman Media Group
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight	60 kg (132 lb)
Other interests	International development Gender equality
Sport
Country	UK
Team	teamTBB (2007–2008)
Turned pro	February 2007
Coached by	Frank Horwill (2002–2004) Tim Weeks (2006) Brett Sutton (2007–2008) Simon Lessing (2009) self-coached (2009) Dave Scott (2009–2011)
Retired	January 2012
Medal record Women's triathlon Ironman Triathlon World Championships Gold 2011 Kailua-Kona Elite Gold 2009 Kailua-Kona Elite Gold 2008 Kailua-Kona Elite Gold 2007 Kailua-Kona Elite ITU Long Distance World Championships Gold 2008 Almere Individual ITU Age Group World Championships Gold 2006 Lausanne Individual

Christine Ann Wellington (born 18 February 1977) is a British former professional triathlete. She is famous for winning the Ironman Triathlon World Championship four times. She also held world records for ironman-distance triathlon races.

Chrissie won the World Championship three years in a row (2007–2009). She missed the 2010 race due to illness. Even with serious injuries, she won the title again in 2011. She was the first British athlete to win the Ironman Triathlon World Championship. Chrissie was undefeated in all thirteen of her ironman-distance races. She is the only triathlete, male or female, to win the World Championship less than a year after becoming a professional. This was a huge achievement for a rookie athlete.

She broke the world record three times (2009–2011) at Challenge Roth in Germany. Her best time was 8 hours, 18 minutes, 13 seconds. This was much faster than previous records. Her record stood for 12 years until 2023.

Before becoming a professional triathlete, Chrissie worked for the British government. She advised on international development and worked on projects in Nepal. She still cares deeply about international development. She supports charities and encourages women and girls to get involved in sports.

She is an ambassador for the Blazeman Foundation, which helps people with ALS (a serious disease). She also campaigns for equal opportunities and prize money for women in sports. She was a founder of Le Tour Entier, a group that worked for a Women's Tour de France.

Early Life and Education

Christine Wellington was born in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England. She grew up in Feltwell, a small village in Norfolk. As a teenager, she was a competitive swimmer for Thetford Dolphins. She continued swimming at university.

Chrissie described herself as a "sporty kid" who enjoyed swimming, hockey, and running. She focused more on her studies in school. She went to Downham Market High School and Ryston Sixth Form College.

After getting a degree in geography from Birmingham University in 1998, Chrissie traveled the world. She saw many problems but also opportunities for positive change. In 2000, she studied development studies at the University of Manchester. After graduating, she worked for the UK government on international development policy.

Working in Nepal

In 2004, Chrissie took a break from her government job. She went to Nepal to work for Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN), a development organization. She managed a sanitation project in a conflict-affected area. She also helped with other tasks like writing project proposals.

While in Nepal, she cycled and ran in the Kathmandu valley. She even cycled 1400 km from Lhasa, Tibet, to Kathmandu, crossing high mountain passes. This experience helped her build mental strength for her later career. Her friends noticed she always trained, even when sick.

In 2006, she returned to her job in the UK. She left in February 2007 to become a professional triathlete.

Amateur Triathlon Career

Chrissie's first triathlon race was in May 2004, where she finished third. She won two more races in the following months. She also tried longer Olympic-distance triathlons.

In February 2006, she competed in the Coast to Coast race in New Zealand. This was a 243 km endurance race with running, cycling, and kayaking. She finished second, even though she had little kayaking experience.

After returning to the UK, she won the 2006 Shropshire Olympic Triathlon. This win qualified her for the ITU World Age Group (Amateur) Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland. She won this title on 2 September 2006, beating her closest rival by over four minutes. She trained very hard for this race while working full-time.

Before triathlons, she ran the London Marathon in 2002. An accident in 2003, where she collided with a car, caused a serious leg injury. This injury led her to focus on swimming again, which then led her to try triathlon.

Professional Triathlon Career

Starting as a Professional

Chrissie Wellington competing at the 2008 Frankfurt Ironman

After winning the amateur world title, Chrissie decided to become a professional triathlete. In January 2007, she met Australian triathlon coach Brett Sutton. Within five days, she quit her job and flew to Thailand to join Sutton's team.

She started by racing shorter events, winning in Bangkok and Subic Bay. She then won a sprint-distance event in the UK. Her first longer race was the UK half-Ironman, where she had bike problems and finished fifth.

In August 2007, Chrissie took on the tough Alpe d'Huez Triathlon. Despite a flat tire, she won by over 29 minutes. Her coach then suggested she was ready for an Ironman race, even with less training volume than others.

After getting used to the hot conditions in Thailand, Chrissie won Ironman Korea. She finished over 50 minutes ahead of the second-place athlete. This win earned her a spot at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii.

First Ironman World Championship Win

On 13 October 2007, Chrissie Wellington won the Ironman World Championship title in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. She finished in 9 hours, 8 minutes, 45 seconds, five minutes ahead of the second-place finisher. Her marathon run was very fast. Her victory was a huge surprise, called the "biggest upset" in Ironman Hawaii history.

2008: European Champion and More Wins

In April 2008, Chrissie won Ironman Australia by five minutes. She then tried a World Cup race in Korea but finished 22nd. She saw this as a chance to learn and improve.

At the Ironman European Championship in Frankfurt, Germany, in July 2008, Chrissie had the second-fastest time ever for a woman over the Ironman distance. She was very close to breaking the world record.

Later that month, she won the Alpe d'Huez Triathlon again. She finished second overall, beating all but one of the men. She also won her first half-Ironman race in August.

Two weeks later, Chrissie won the ITU long-distance World Championship in Almere. She beat the ironman-distance world record holder, Yvonne van Vlerken.

In October, Chrissie returned to Kona as the defending champion and won her second Ironman World Championship. She set a new Hawaii marathon course record. Even with a flat tire during the bike stage, she finished 15 minutes ahead of second place.

After this, Chrissie announced she was leaving her team and coach. She wanted to train with a new coach, Simon Lessing.

2009–2011: Breaking Records

First World Record at Roth

Despite being sick, Chrissie set a new world record for ironman-distance triathlon races. She finished in 8 hours, 31 minutes, 59 seconds at Challenge Roth in Germany on 12 July 2009. She beat the previous record by almost 14 minutes. Her bike time was also a new world record.

In August, Chrissie decided to coach herself.

Third Ironman World Championship Win

In October 2009, Chrissie won the World Championship for the third time. She set a new course record of 8 hours, 54 minutes, 2 seconds. This broke Paula Newby-Fraser's record that had stood since 1992. Chrissie finished almost 20 minutes ahead of second place. Only 22 men were faster than her.

Injuries and More Records

In January 2010, Chrissie had a serious bike crash. She broke bones in her arm and hand and needed surgery. This limited her training, but she later said the break helped her focus on other areas of improvement.

She returned to racing in June, winning Ironman 70.3 Kansas.

On 18 July 2010, Chrissie defended her Challenge Roth title. She set a new ironman-distance world record of 8 hours, 19 minutes, 13 seconds. She also set a new women's record for the bike and marathon sections. Her marathon time was incredibly fast.

In August, she won Timberman 70.3 again. However, she had to withdraw from the 2010 Ironman World Championship in October due to illness. Tests showed she had several infections.

In November, Chrissie set a new world record for an Ironman-branded race in Tempe, Arizona. Her time was 8 hours, 36 minutes, 13 seconds. She rode the last two miles of the bike course on a flat tire but still won by a large margin.

2011: Another World Record and Kona Win

In April 2011, Chrissie won Ironman South Africa. She set a new "M-dot" world record of 8 hours, 33 minutes, 56 seconds. She finished eighth overall, almost 35 minutes ahead of the second-place woman. Her marathon time was faster than all the men.

In July, Chrissie broke her own ironman-distance world record at Challenge Roth again. Her new record was 8 hours, 18 minutes, 13 seconds. Her marathon time of 2 hours, 44 minutes, 35 seconds was also a new world record. Only four men finished ahead of her.

Bike Crash Before Kona

Two weeks before the 2011 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Chrissie had a serious bike crash. She got severe road rash and injuries to her elbow and hip. She was in intense pain and struggled to train. Despite her injuries, she decided to race.

Regaining the World Title

Chrissie's swim was slower than usual due to her injuries. She started the marathon stage with five women ahead of her. Her main concern was Mirinda Carfrae, the 2010 champion, who was close behind.

Chrissie's hip was in constant pain during the bike stage, and her hamstrings started hurting during the marathon. She pushed through the pain, running the first half of the marathon very fast. She took the lead and crossed the finish line to win in 8 hours, 55 minutes, 8 seconds. Her marathon time was a course record until Carfrae finished shortly after, setting an even faster record.

Her coach later said Chrissie was "traumatised" by her injuries. He described her performance as "inspirational" because she pushed herself despite the pain.

Retirement from Professional Triathlon

On 16 January 2012, Chrissie announced she was taking a one-year break from professional Ironman racing. She wanted to spend more time with family and friends in the UK. She also wanted to promote her book, A Life Without Limits, and be involved with the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She also wanted to dedicate more time to her charity work.

On 3 December 2012, Chrissie announced her permanent retirement from professional triathlon racing. She called her 2011 World Ironman Championships win her "perfect race" that "completed" her. She continues to be involved with the sport but not as a professional racer.

Life After Triathlon

Parkrun

Chrissie Wellington discovered parkrun when she saw 300 people running in Richmond Park. She decided to join in. In February 2013, Chrissie joined parkrun's staff. She later became its Head of Health and Wellbeing.

Chrissie Wellington married Tom Lowe on 2 May 2015. They have a daughter named Esme.

Comrades Marathon

In June 2019, Chrissie completed the Comrades Marathon. This is one of the world's toughest ultra marathons. She finished 14th in her age group.

International Development Work

Chrissie Wellington has said her two main passions are sport and development. After her 2007 Hawaii Ironman victory, she spoke about how sport can help children and bring communities together.

Her former coach, Brett Sutton, shared that Chrissie wanted to use her triathlon success to help underprivileged children in Southeast Asia. She was willing to give up money if it meant focusing on this goal.

Chrissie wrote about her passion: "Poverty, conflict, violence, crime, exclusion and so forth are not givens. They happen for a reason. We have the power to change things. And sport is one vehicle for doing so. It has the power to build bridges, to empower, to teach, to heal – this is what triathlon and every other sport should be about." She hopes to inspire people to take up sport and reach their full potential.

Awards and Recognition

Chrissie Wellington was named the 2009 Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year. She was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2010 for her services to ironman triathlons. She was later promoted to Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2016 for her work in sport and charity.

In December 2010, the University of Birmingham gave her an honorary doctorate. This was to honor her work in both sport and international development. In February 2017, the University of Bristol also gave her an honorary degree, praising her amazing sporting achievements and her promotion of sport for community development.

Race Results

This table shows all of Chrissie Wellington's races as a professional triathlete.

Note also that the table is sortable: click on any column heading to sort the whole table by that column; click again to toggle between ascending/descending order.

Note

• Where transition times are not shown explicitly, they are included in the split times (usually the bike time).

Sources

General sources

(note: only results marked TR are official)

Images for kids

• 

  The famous 21 bends at the end of the bike stage of the Alpe d'Huez triathlon

See also

In Spanish: Chrissie Wellington para niños