Australian triathlete Sam Appleton has announced he will retire from the sport at the end of this season after admitting it was time to stop chasing ‘this crazy dream’ following 13 years as a professional.
A serial winner with 20 career victories, predominantly on the IRONMAN circuit, the 36-year-old announced this week that he was ready to bow out after completing ‘one or two more bucket-list races’.
While those two final hurrahs have yet to be confirmed, he has revealed that he would still like to remain a part of the triathlon world when he retires – a sporting community which he says has ‘become his life’.
‘It became my life, my identity’
Revealing his decision on Instagram, he said: “After more than 20 years of racing triathlon, I’ll be hanging up the tools at the end of 2026. I did my first triathlon when I was 13 years old, and from that moment, triathlon became so much more than a sport to me; it became my life, my identity, and the thing I wanted to give everything to.
“I don’t think I can fully express in this post what triathlon has meant to me over the past two decades. It has given me more than I ever could have imagined. The opportunity to travel the world, test myself in ways I never thought possible, create lifelong friendships, and share unforgettable moments with so many incredible people.
“To the fans, supporters, sponsors, coaches, teammates, friends, family, and everyone behind the scenes who allowed me to chase this crazy dream for so long, thank you. What a gift it was having you all in my corner.”
His happiest hunting grounds were IRONMAN 70.3 Santa Rosa/Vineman, California, where he took four titles in five appearances at the renamed middle-distance race in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019, and IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong, where his three wins (2017, 2018 and 2022) were accompanied by two further second-place finishes in 2015 and 2020.
‘I have achieved far more than I thought possible’
He also enjoyed an impressive run of 70.3 World Championship results, with four consecutive top-ten finishes from 2016 through to 2019 – his best coming in 2017, when he just missed out on the podium, finishing fourth behind Javier Gomes (ESP), Ben Kanute (USA) and Tim Don (GBR).
But it wasn’t only the success he was able to achieve that made him fall so head-over-heels in love with the sport.
“From racing as a 13-year-old junior for TriNSW to competing in some of the most competitive races in the world, I have achieved far more than I ever thought possible in this sport,” he added. “At the heart of it all, I simply wanted to explore the limits of my potential.
“Winning was special, of course, but so was the process of pushing my body, riding the ups and downs, and lining up alongside competitors who brought out the best in me.
“The past few months have had me reflecting more deeply on my time as an athlete. When you’re in the thick of a career, it can be hard to see the forest through the trees. There is always more training, another race, another goal. Sometimes, in chasing what is next, you forget to pause and appreciate how far you have come.
‘Triathlon will never stop being a part of who I am’
“The other day, I pulled an old memorabilia box out of the garage. For the first time in my career, I started putting some of my trophies on display. It was a small thing, but it made me realise how far I have come in this journey.”
As for the future, it would seem that Appleton is still very much undecided on where he will go next, but it really wouldn’t be a surprise if triathlon was involved somewhere along the line.
“Retiring from professional racing doesn’t mean triathlon will ever stop being part of who I am,” he said. “It has shaped me in ways I will carry for the rest of my life. But I feel my life moving in different directions now, and I’m genuinely excited to pursue the paths ahead.
“What’s next? Well, I still have one or two more bucket list races left to close out this chapter of my career that I am looking forward to announcing soon. But the strange part is not fully knowing what I’m going to do with the rest of my life.
“The last 20 years or so I have woken up each day wanting to be the best athlete I can possibly be. It’s a strange feeling having that weight lifted from my shoulders.
“I still hope to be around triathlon in one capacity or another as I move past professional racing. I love this sport way too much to ever be too far away from it. What a ride it has been.”
