Search
shop

Jan Frodeno: Staying on top and the moment he found perspective

The GOAT talks to the PTO about realising the road isn't endless - and how he intends to make the most of it.
News Director
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

Jan Frodeno knows his time at the top of the triathlon tree won’t last for ever – but in the meantime he’s giving everything to make it last as long as possible.

The modern-day GOAT has done everything in the sport – Olympic champion, three-time Kona winner, dual 70.3 world champion, world-record breaker and much, much more.

And a new video produced by the PTO, simply titled ‘The Greatest of All Time’, sets out to find what makes him tick and what still motivates him.

Ahead of a 2022 season where a host of contenders will line up to try and wrestle the 40-year-old’s IRONMAN World Championship crown from him at first St George and then Kona, it’s clear he’s relishing the battles ahead.

Advertisement

Pressure point

He explains: “I can definitely tell you that pressure is a privilege. It’s something I’ve fought very hard for and something I love. I’ve always needed pressure.

“I’m pulled in by sport. It makes me feel alive. I’m at a point in my career where I do it for the challenge.”

Jan Frodeno Collins Cup 2021
Frodeno reasserted his supremacy at last year’s Collins Cup.

That echoes the perspective of Frodeno’s longtime coach Dan Lorang, who has guided him ever since he made the transition from Olympic-distance racing.

In an in-depth TRI247 interview with Lorang, which we’ll be running in the coming days, he told us: “The fire still burns bright for Jan to be ready for these challenges, no matter the outcome. It motivates him and he wants these hard races, where he can perform at his highest level. It brings the best out of him. And in the end he wants to win.

“For Jan it’s the competition, the man against man.”

Life-changing experience

Back to the PTO video, and Frodeno references not only the balance which his family gives him but also how his perspective on life in general changed after a shocking experience in January 2018, when he was training on his bike in Australia.

“I think it took a pretty big injury [for me] to realise that this road isn’t endless. There was an incident a few years ago where I almost got killed by a truck.

“And I had to deal with that for quite a long time because I realised that it can hit you anytime. Like, life can be over, can be over tomorrow. It really can just be that quick.

“I asked myself why I feared this moment and what else I want to do.”

It’s underlines that now is very much the time to appreciate him while we can as, reflecting on his career to date, he added: “I came to the realization that I’ve had a kick arse time and… twice as much is not twice as good.”

Battle-hardened

Creating those battles and rivalries was key for Frodeno last year.

Just think of his Zwift Tri Battle Royale with Lionel Sanders when he created a new record time for the Ironman distance, or putting pretenders firmly in their place at the inaugural Collins Cup.

Jan Frodeno vs Lionel Sanders Zwift Tri Battle Royale 2021
Jan Frodeno and Lionel Sanders rumbled in the Zwift Tri Battle Royale.

And walking the walk as opposed to just talking the talk is a theme which crops up in the video.

“Just because I don’t publicly say as many times that I will go home on a stretcher or anything like that doesn’t actually mean, you know… I yeah, I genuinely care.

“Triathlon forces you to engage. You can’t cheat your way through it. You get a lot of return for what you put in, but you have to put it in and that’s something that keeps you very honest.

“I really hope to keep my fire alive within me… finding projects, finding rivalries. Maybe sometimes even finding a comment if somebody pi$$es me off just adds to the fire again, it just keeps things going.”

And aware “I can’t do this until I’m 50,” Frodeno is even using that as added motivation: “It makes it even more clear that every time I do Kona, it could be the last Kona. And that’s why I care so much.”

Jonathan Turner
Written by
Jonathan Turner
Jonathan Turner is News Director for both TRI247 and RUN247, and is accustomed to big-name interviews, breaking news stories and providing unrivalled coverage for endurance sports.  
Discover more
Challenge The Championship Marjolaine Pieree
How to qualify for Challenge The Championship – and why it should be on your triathlon bucket list
Cadomotus aero triathlon cycling shoes
Can your triathlon cycling shoes make you faster? How shoe choice could speed up your triathlon finish times
French Riviera T100 bike course Esterel
Is this the ultimate middle distance triathlon bike course? We rode the French Riviera T100 bike course and it’s EPIC
Ironman gear guide – everything you need to get to the finish line of a full distance triathlon
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
latest News
The PTO's CEO Sam Renouf
PTO reveal ambitions of matching Roth and Kona as French Riviera T100 triathlon course details unveiled
Sam Long St George 2024 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
‘No No No’ – Sam Long says he felt ROBBED by swim cancellation at ‘69.1 Chattanooga’
IRONMAN World Championship 2024 Nice Age Group Swim Start
IRONMAN to review World Championship slot allocation model after fears raised for Age Group women
Jonny Brownlee / Jonathan Brownlee - Super League Triathlon London 2023
Did the Brownlee brothers nearly join pro cycling’s Team Sky after 2012 Olympic heroics?
Kristian Hogenhaug interviewed after The Championship 2025
Danish triathlon star highlights blistering bike split as key to The Championship success.
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

Share to...