‘This is a sport I’m not sure you ever figure out’ – how Mum Leslie Knibb inspired daughter Taylor

Leslie Knibb is a complete bad ass of an athlete and person in my eyes. Racing in Kona for her seventh time, but eighth IRONMAN World Championships (including IRONMAN St. George 2021/2022), she’s been in the sport for many years, but it’s the person behind the athlete who is also as fascinating.

I think ‘curious’ is a word to describe Leslie, or rather ‘be curious’ as Ted Lasso would say. And in fact Leslie would say that she is curious about herself, life, her physical limits, her mind and more.

She’s also incredibly self-effacing about her abilities, herself and her worthiness to be interviewed or featured. Leslie managed to, for two thirds of the time we had, fire questions at me, purposely not allowing me to ask her anything. I called her out on this several times, I was onto her and knew what she was doing! She just smiled and laughed.

Turning the tables

When I did manage to turn the tables I learnt so much, and won’t even be able to scratch the surface on that, and Leslie in this feature. But I continue to learn, every time I speak with her.

And whilst serious in so many ways about being the best, and an inner competitive drive to be the best and to win, there is also an incredible humour, knowledge, smile and the drive to want to have fun. Her energy is contagious, her knowledge is immense.

She tells me: “I love the challenge, I like discovering things during the race about myself. I would consider myself curious. That’s constant, how to get better, what to do. I love the learning process.”

Having swam and played soccer when she was younger, and enjoyed running, she found triathlon, aged 27. The challenge intrigued her.

“This is a sport I’m not sure you ever figure out. You can race and I’m not sure you ever have the perfect race.”

Cry for help!

Trying to list off all the different jobs and careers that Leslie has done, would take up all of this article, and I’m sure I don’t even know half of them. Her curiosity and work ethic, took her across a plethora of industries and careers at all levels. Perhaps that drive to always learn, of self discovery and to be better, and also to help and support others in their journeys and wanting the best for them.

Leslie’s first IRONMAN in 2010 sparked more curiosity, leading to taking on a coaching qualification, but also this hunger for knowledge and how to be better. At this time Leslie also had two children, Taylor was 12 and Jack was 10. They didn’t come to watch her first race, having a swim competition themselves but came to Kona that year to support.

Well sort of. Leslie describes being on the bike, coming down from Hawi, and being on the climb from Kawaihae back up to the Queen Ka’ahumanu highway, and the kids were there, but rather than cheering their Mum on, they were fighting.

“He won’t give me the Gatorade”, “She’s drinking it all”. Each child pleading their case to their Mum, who was in the IRONMAN World Championships, in the middle of the bike leg.

But also unable to necessarily get away due to being on the climb. I should state Leslie’s husband was also there, she hadn’t just left the two kids on their own. But just staring at his wife with this somewhat cry for help look!

Planting the seed

Leslie’s values and traits did rub off on her children, and perhaps that time on the bike in Hawaii did help plant the seed in Taylor’s mind that she didn’t want to be on the side of the road, but in the race.

“She (Taylor) didn’t want to be on the side of the road, ‘I want to be in the race’ she’d say every time. She wanted to be doing what she was watching, not watching what we were doing.”

I should perhaps state now, if you haven’t joined the dots together that Leslie Knibb’s daughter is Taylor Knibb. A two time Olympic Silver medallist (Mixed Team Relay, Tokyo and Paris) and three-time 70.3 World Champion. Taylor was the youngest ever woman to qualify for the US Olympic Triathlon team, and then at the 2024 Olympics in Paris qualified in two sports – triathlon and cycling time trial.

Although originally, as Leslie states, the motivation for Taylor (when she was young) was always a new outfit and so any sport that offered this.

Now, Leslie and Taylor both live in Boulder, Colorado, and share the same coach – Julie Dibens. Julie coaches Leslie, and coaches Taylor for the swim element of her training alongside Dan Lorang. Although Leslie is very quick to point out that she doesn’t view herself as being in the same squad as Taylor, remarking they are in different lanes at opposite sides of the pool.

Leslie says: “We swim at the same time, but we are in a different squad. I want to respect the boundaries. She’s with her people.”

Leslie continues with that respect: “This is her career so I need to respect that. I’m supportive of her, 100%.”

Control the controlables

This will be the second time Leslie and her daughter have raced the IRONMAN World Championships together, 2023 being the first. Although they have, over both their careers, raced in the same events several times.

And Leslie’s motherly instinct will always kick in, meaning she’ll always have a thought in her head, as to where Taylor is, and if she’s ok. When they were younger, it was knowing they (Taylor and Jack) were out of the water safely. Now, as a mother, to be fair it’s probably still the same, it always kicks in.

As well as this curiosity and constant self discovery that comes through from Leslie in everything she does, so does this sense of fun, and this sense of humour and laughter. (NOTE: I would say that’s something too which has rubbed off onto Taylor, as there tends to be laughter heard from both Knibbs at both sides of the pool in Boulder).

Leslie added: “Training should be fun. This isn’t my job, it’s a hobby and brings me a lot of joy. If I’m not curious and it’s not fun, then I’m not going to do it anymore.”

It is probably no surprise, from all of this, that Leslie is very process driven in her goals and life and giving her all to what she can control, and not overly worrying about what she can’t control.

“I want to give it my best effort, that’s the most I can do, and if an outcome is I’ve done well, great that’s a bonus. I can only do so much. If I give it my all and that’s genuinely feel I’ve done my best. I can’t do anything more.”

All about showing up

In a recent race, a friend said to Leslie: “I hope the wind is at your back”, wishing her the best for the race. Leslie then follows with a quirk, and ensuring she is respectful to her competitors, that no one really turned up and so “you know what’s better than the wind at your back, showing up.”

But whilst this was said in fun and as a joke, again that self-effacing was coming through, the seriousness is, that that is half the battle is just showing up!

Also, don’t be fooled by Leslie’s humour and jokes, and laughter. For sure she wants the sport to be fun, and very much makes it so, but she’s very driven and competitive. She had no idea if she could do her first IRONMAN, nor the one on Saturday, but states that it is so empowering, and discovered so much ore and that she could dig, and go deeper.

“It’s so amazing to me, the self discovery. I was limited by my thoughts initially,” she admits.

The constant desire to learn more and find out something in every race continues. That you can dig deeper and find new levels, push yourself to be the very best version, as a person and athlete, and yet at the same time, probably never figuring it all out.

And going through life ensuring that it’s fun, and that there is laughter, with others and at yourself, and a comraderie through the friends that she trains with, through her follow competitors she races with, and a sense of gratitude in everything.

“How fortunate we are that we have the ability to do this, and make all these discoveries.”

On Saturday 11th October 2025, Leslie will line up in the 60-65 age group. She will once again be in the same race as her daughter, and with the same curiosity that has driven her to continue in sport, continuing to learn, to discover, to give it her best effort, to show up.

And whilst it will I’m sure hurt, and suck along the way, there will be entwined through all of this, her gratitude and love of the sport, and the joy she finds in being out there.