In this episode
Louis Woodgate introduces himself as a 23-year-old triathlete born in England and raised in Kyparissia. He raced his first triathlon at ten and is in his first professional year.
The discussion covers non-drafting middle distance, altitude camp in France, a pro licence from the Greek federation, sponsors and training volume. It closes with his US racing highlight, a low point of university overtraining and a vision for a Kyparissia team.
Quick navigation
- 00:00 — Introductions and Kyparissia
- 04:10 — From age ten to professional and middle-distance racing
- 11:40 — Camp, Marbella, a licence and a bike
- 19:51 — Coaching and sponsors
- 26:09 — Volume, race tactics and the off-season
- 34:18 — Kyparissia and a team vision
- 42:32 — A highlight, a low point and closing remarks
Detailed show notes
From Kyparissia’s pool to professional racing
Louis Woodgate was born in England, grew up in Kyparissia and is 23. He began swimming at seven. When the local pool closed, coach Giannis Petridis introduced winter cycling and running and summer swimming, bringing him into triathlon. His first race was at ten in 2012. Around fourteen, he placed low at a Balkan Youth Championship but was inspired by the elites and took the sport more seriously.
His parents had no connection to the sport but let him pursue what he wanted. This is his first professional year; he places his first official pro race in November of the previous season. The transition did not feel like a leap because he already raced university and sprint events in England and European Cups alongside Olympic-level athletes.
Middle distance, camp and Marbella
He says he is better at middle distance than sprint or Olympic, mainly because drafting is prohibited and cycling is his strength. He has not tried Ironman distance and is not planning it soon.
His main target is the 70.3 World Championship in Marbella on 7 November, having qualified last year. He also mentions the Balkans and a 70.3 in Italy. The recording takes place at an altitude camp in France, his third year there; he stays for weeks for the pool and routes, not altitude alone.
Writing his own programme
His coach is in England, from his university years. Louis writes the sessions; the coach reviews them and usually removes some. Around 28 hours weekly: roughly 105 km running, six swims totalling 25–30 km, 12–15 hours cycling and gym twice. Running is his weakest discipline, so he works on it most. He often pushes the bike from the start in races; in the latest one, he capped watts to preserve the run. He has raced four times this year, selectively.
He has not invested in aerodynamics. His bike is “falling apart” and needs replacing. He has equipment sponsors, but no financial support. His pro licence came through an email to the Greek Triathlon Federation, without the numerical criteria he describes for Britain.
Indian Wells, overtraining and returning to Kyparissia
His highlight is his second pro race and first 70.3 at Indian Wells: he left the swim with the front group, broke away on the bike to reach transition around 2.5 minutes ahead, led the run until 8 km and finished third.
His low point was his first university year in England: overtraining, believing he needed to lose weight to run better, falling back within the group and taking about a month to recover. He now says that belief was wrong. In ten years, he wants to coach a high-level team in Kyparissia. He has already hosted his university team twice. He believes Greece lacks races for young children.
Key takeaways
- Turning professional can continue an existing high level of competition rather than represent a sudden leap from age-group racing.
- Cycling matters in non-drafting middle distance; Ironman distance remains outside his plans for now.
- More races do not mean a better year; he selects training blocks and races where he can contend.
- Equipment sponsorship does not cover a new bike; the shortfall is practical, not romantic.
- Beyond his pro career, his vision includes a team and children’s races in Kyparissia, not only individual success.
