Hi! My name is Ha Na
and I’m aiming to be the first professional Asian-American Triathlete.
In a lot of ways, I feel like I have no business being out on the field. Most of the big time female pro triathletes had at least played a sport in college, or had some god-like talent that propelled them onto the podium. I was neither of those. I was not an endurance sport superstar in college. In fact, I didn’t play any sports in college -- aside from the bucket list marathon I signed up for in senior year. Despite qualifying for the Boston Marathon three times, I was never fast enough to beat the lottery system, and later found myself burnt out and discouraged by running.
Once one of my co-workers found out I used to be an avid runner, she convinced me to join her group of cycling friends over the weekend for a 30 mile ride over Dumbarton Bridge and back. I chased them around on her cruiser, and after a few more rides eventually caved and bought my first road bike. Upon finding out I had made this purchase, another of my co-workers asked if I could swim, and convinced me to sign up for the Alcatraz Triathlon in 2016. That was my first open water swim, and first triathlon ever. I placed first in my Age Group and fell in love with the sport, completing my first Half Ironman just 3 weeks later.
I’ve been competing in Triathlons consistently ever since, and over the years have grown more and more aware of the lack of representation in this sport. Both by gender and by racial minorities. When I look around on race day at any given triathlon, I’d be surprised to see a fellow Asian female. Even in the pro field, there is a lack of Asian-American athletes — especially in endurance sports as a whole. I’m hoping to change that, and I’m looking forward to sharing this journey with you.
Upcoming Races
Sat, Mar 27
Ironman Oceanside 70.3
Oceanside, CA
2021
Sun, Jun 27
Ironman Coeur d’Alene
Coeur d’Alene, ID
2021
Sun, Sep 12
Ironman Wisconsin
Madison, WI
2021