Search
shop

Rebecca Duxbury selected for 2021 Zwift Academy Tri Team

Great Britain's Rebecca Duxbury will be celebrating, after being named as one of the six athletes selected for the 2021 Zwift Academy Tri Team
Chief Correspondent
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Launched in 2018, the Zwift Academy Tri Team was forced (along with everything else), to take a sabbatical in 2020, due to you-know-what.

However, with racing (fingers crossed) back and the IRONMAN World Championship (more crossed fingers) set to take place in October 2021, the program is back for its third incarnation.

That’s great news for one British athlete, Rebecca Duxbury, who has today been named as one of the six athletes on perhaps the best-supported age-group triathlon team in the world. Rebecca will follow in the footsteps of Bex Rimmington (2018) and Ruth Astle / Paul Lunn (2019) as British representation on the team.

Pontevedra ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships

Duxbury pretty much arrived in the sport and was winning from the start – fastest AG athlete overall at the 2019 ITU Long Distance Triathlon Champs, second AG’er at 70.3 Staffordshire 2019 (coincidentally, Bex Rimmington was third!), second to Lucy Gossage at the 2019 Long Course Weekend Wales and and age-group winner at IRONMAN Wales 2019 (which, I think, should mean that her Kona slot is already secured).

She certainly was noticed by Lucy Gossage at the LCW event, “I was super impressed with the performance of the young pharmacist Rebecca Duxbury who finished second (definitely one to watch in my book)”, and while 2020 was all but wiped out, Rebecca did take the opportunity to race, and win, at the Outlaw X.

Rebecca Duxbury / Outlaw X 2020

A great opportunity for Rebecca to build on what has been a very impressive start to her triathlon career. Best wishes to her, and congratulations to all six of the athletes selected.


Advertisement

INTRODUCING THE ZWIFT ACADEMY TRI TEAM FOR 2021

Six athletes from around the world make up this year’s team as they prepare for the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona

Zwift, the online global fitness platform, has today announced the six members of the Zwift Academy Tri Team 2021. Over 134,000 people signed up for Zwift Academy. All those that completed the program’s 10 workouts and 2 bike and run races,  graduated with a chance to make the final team selection process with team selection. The final six members were selected based on their Zwift Academy performance, past race results and personality. 

Originating from four different continents, the Zwift Academy Tri Team for 2021 is:

  • Eric Engel, USA. Eric is a digital marketer in Wisconsin and has been hooked on triathlon since university.
  • Kristen Yax, USA. Kristen comes from Oregon where she is a psychology professor.
  • Rebecca Duxbury, UK. A former competitive hockey player, Rebecca calls Oxfordshire home and is a full-time pharmacist.
  • Lukas Bosmans, Belgium. Lukas is a police detective, loves running and has won several beer miles.
  • Kangsub Song, South Korea. Kangsub is a computer programmer and network engineer. He is a committed Zwifter with  level 50 on the bike and level 21 on the treadmill.
  • Vanessa Murray, Australia. Vanessa is from New Zealand but calls Melbourne home and spends her time coaching new triathletes.

The team will benefit from incredible support from some of the sport’s best-known brands as they build towards the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona. Specialized will be supplying the team with bikes, race kits, shoes, helmets, and money-can’t-buy performance experiences.

Wahoo is providing the full Wahoo ecosystem. WHOOP joins as the performance and recovery partner. Each team member will be receiving eyewear and swim apparel from ROKA with Science in Sport providing the team’s sport nutrition and consultations. Returning as Zwift Academy Tri team mentors and ensuring the team get invaluable guidance are Tim Don and Sarah True. 

Follow the highs and lows of the Zwift Academy Tri team’s journey as the team balance working, being parents and the other challenges life throws at them while being an amateur athlete. 2021 will hopefully see races start to come back, with some of the team lining up for a race for the first time in over a year. Keeping up the momentum of training in a year without competition has been challenging, some of team have already qualified for Kona and will need to find that form again. Others are yet to qualify and will be looking to secure a lot in a year where the calendar is anything from certain.

To learn more about the team and to stay up to date with their progress head here.

John Levison
Written by
John Levison
TRI247's Chief Correspondent, John has been involved in triathlon for well over 30 years, 15 of those writing on these pages, whilst he can also be found commentating for events across the UK.
Discover more
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumHow to pace a triathlon to leave it all out there WITHOUT blowing up
FORM Smart Swim 2 PRO lens close up
FORM Smart Swim Pro 2 Goggles review: can these high tech goggles actually help you to train smarter and swim faster?
Premium‘The difference from triathlon is so big – there’s no comparison’: Maya Kingma on life in the Women’s WorldTour peloton
Laura Siddall Challenge Roth 2025 finish line
PremiumLaura Siddall: 10 things I’ve learned from my professional triathlon career
TRIFIT VORTEX tri suit
The small but mighty tri brand you NEED to know about: Why TRI-FIT are on a mission to disrupt the triathlon apparel scene
latest News
Alistair Brownlee Olympics Triathlon London 2012 Podium Gold
Olympic icon Alistair Brownlee reveals most British thing ever when it comes to fuelling recovery
Lionel Sanders IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside 2025 celebration finish line
Lionel Sanders provides BIG update on triathlon comeback
Gwen Jorgensen World Triathlon Cup Tongyeong 2023 run
Olympic triathlon champion Gwen Jorgensen issues last call for scholarship fund for young athletes
Norseman Triathlon 2023 Start
The Norseman 2025: Date, start time and how to follow live for ‘the race that makes athletes cry’
Jan Frodeno Cheesehead PTO Tour US Open 2023 Milwaukee
Triathlon legend Jan Frodeno goes outside his comfort zone to take on epic UTMB challenge
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...