Laura Siddall and Matt Hanson elected to PTO Athlete Board

The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) has announced two new members to its Athlete Board for 2022-23, with Great Britain’s Laura Siddall and the USA’s Matt Hanson the names voted for by PTO members.

The PTO’s structure was created as a partnership with its funding partners, Crankstart Investments and its Chairman, Mike Moritz, and the athletes, such that the PTO and Crankstart Investments share equally in all profits generated by operations. Thus, the athletes ‘are’ (50% at least), the PTO.

2021 of course saw the inaugural Collins Cup in Samorin, Slovakia, with the PTO Tour expanding in 2022, adding the Canadian Open and US Open events alongside the second edition of the Ryder Cup-styled event.

Siddall sets out her agenda

Wearing many triathlon hats – Pro athlete, engineer, speaker, writer, podcaster and more – Laura Siddall would seemingly bring both a broad and varied experience to the table. Having only started her Pro racing career in her 30’s, after winning Age-Group world championships events across Sprint, Olympic and 70.3 formats, Laura also has corporate experience from outside of the triathlon bubble to add into the mix.

She has already outlined her aims in this role via her athlete Facebook page:

“Excited and honoured to have been voted onto the Athlete Board. Thank you to everyone who voted but also to the other women who put their names forward. It shows there is a lot of passion out there to be part of the change in the PTO. It’s exciting times for the sport, and I hope I can truly represent all the members of the PTO in driving a better sport for all of us and future generations.

“I’ve been a supporter of the PTO for many years, from the earliest versions. I always believed in the need for an athlete voice in the long course side of the sport. I have great respect, admiration and gratitude for the original athlete members who have worked for years to keep striving for this. I hope I and the other athlete board members can continue their vision and work.

“The last couple of years the Professional Triathletes Organisation has brought transformation to the sport. The next few years are exciting times. I’m highly engaged and motivated to be a voice for ALL athletes and I want to represent the membership in its entirety. I want to listen to all members and convey their views and thoughts to the board and leadership. I promise to hold the leadership accountable and to drive progress in all areas of the PTO. This isn’t just limited to rankings but the other commitments that were made… insurances, tax, legal and financial support, anti-doping, business and professional help, post retirement career transition as well as expanding racing options and support for all members. I’ll work to improve communication and engagement of the membership as a whole in order to unite all athletes.”