Rising Above. How Luke Willian turned setbacks into Olympic opportunities
We're sharing Shawn Smith's Trizone article with Luke Willian over a series of posts as we head towards Paris. A big thank you to Shawn, Luke and Warwick for their time and efforts pulling this story together.
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Australian triathlete Luke Willian defies setbacks, forging his own path to Olympic dreams with unwavering determination and a renewed passion for the sport he loves.
Prelude
Sometimes in life you have the privilege of meeting someone who truly inspires you, not just through their achievements but through their character, their story and their spirit. For me, that someone is Luke Willian.
When I first sat down with Luke for our series of interviews, I knew I was in for something special. But what I didn't realise was just how much his journey would resonate with me on a personal level. As an athlete myself (cough – did I just call myself an athlete), I've had my share of ups and downs. But listening to Luke's story, to the way he's faced every challenge with grit, determination and a smile, I couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of inspiration and purpose.
Let’s not forget what Trizone is all about – connecting with athletes, sharing their stories, and hopefully inspiring others along the way. And in Luke's case, I think we've truly struck gold, hopefully Olympic gold. Over the course of these articles, we'll dive deep into his journey, from his early years as an energetic kid in Brisbane, to his rise through the ranks, to his current quest for Olympic glory.
This will hopefully be less on races and results, this is a story about the human spirit, about the power of perseverance, family and chasing dreams no matter what. It's a story that I feel privileged to tell and one that I hope will leave you as inspired as I am.
So without further ado, let's start at the beginning, with a young boy from Brisbane who had no idea just how far his passion would take him.
The Making of a Champion
Before he was a world-class triathlete, before he was chasing Olympic dreams and inspiring a new generation of Australian athletes, Luke Willian was just a kid from Brisbane with a boundless energy and a love for sport. Born and raised in the sunny parts of Australia – yes, it’s warm in Queensland, Willian's journey to the top of the triathlon world began, as many great stories do, with family, friends and a burning passion for pushing his own limits.
"I grew up with my younger brother Joe and we'd pretty much do everything together," Willian recalls with a fond smile. "We'd be in the backyard playing for all hours a day." It was a lively and active upbringing, one filled with laughter, a little mischief and the unbreakable bond of brotherhood. But it wasn't always easy. As he tells it with a cheeky grin, "I was probably a kid that was a little shit in school. I wasn't the best because I just had too much energy."
That energy, however, would prove to be one of Willian's greatest gifts. When he wasn't tearing up the backyard with his brother, he was exploring every sport he could get his hands on, his curiosity and enthusiasm knowing no bounds. "We went through every sport under the sun," he remembers with a laugh. "I remember we were looking at rowing and mum's like, 'oh, the early mornings, don't like that.'" Little did they know then just how many early mornings lay ahead, each one a step closer to a dream not yet started.
It wasn't until a day in the school holidays that Willian found the sport that would change his life, that would set his soul on fire and his feet on the path. "One day in school holidays, I'm going to swim a thousand laps of the neighbour's pool," he says, his eyes sparkling with the memory. "And I just swam a thousand laps. It was only an eight-metre pool, so it was just me tumble-turn all day. But I always liked those little challenges for myself, as ridiculous as they are.
This love of a challenge, this hunger to push himself to the limit and beyond, would become the hallmark of Willian's approach, the driving force behind his relentless pursuit of excellence. And when he finally discovered the triathlon, thanks to his brother's interest in a school gym program, everything seemed to fall into place, like the final piece of a puzzle he didn't even know he was solving.
"We both got hooked on it," Willian reminisces, his voice brimming with a mixture of nostalgia and brotherly pride. "My brother, he was always the brainy one, you know? Sports weren't really his thing. But then he discovered triathlon and it was like he found his calling. And for me, it was the same. It was this incredible thing we could share, this journey we could go on together. But the best part? We weren't competing against each other, not really. I was a bit older, so we were in different age groups. It was like we were each other's biggest supporters, each other's teammates. We were in it together, but we also had our own paths."
As Willian progressed in the sport, his natural talent and fierce determination began to shine through, each race became a test for himself, to see just how far he could go. He started winning, moving up through the ranks, his dreams growing bigger with each passing milestone. But even as his triathlon career began to take flight, he never lost sight of the simple joys and unshakeable bonds that had gotten him there in the first place.
"I'll never forget winning my first Raby Bay Triathlon," he says, his eyes lighting up as if he's reliving the moment. "It was this incredible feeling, like everything I'd been working towards was finally paying off. And the best part? Winning that race meant I got to move up to the sprint distance. It was like this whole new challenge. And that's how it went, you know? One achievement after another, each one leading to the next. They were what kept me going, what made me realise that maybe, just maybe, I could take this thing all the way."
For Willian, these early years were also about family, about the tight-knit community that supported him every step of the way, that lifted him up and carried him forward even when the road got tough. "Mum and dad played a huge role," he says, his gratitude unmistakeable. "We ate so much. I remember mum would cook so much for us to to keep us going."
It was this foundation of love and support that would sustain Luke through the ups and downs of his journey, that would give him the strength to keep going even when the finish line seemed out of reach. And as he looks back now, he recognises just how crucial those early years were in shaping the athlete and the man he would become.
"Triathlon also brought people together," he reflects, his voice soft with emotion. "Family would come and watch the race. You'd get to see family because of doing triathlon. Mum and dad loved that because we got to see family. It's how the whole family's being part of the journey, each victory and each setback a shared experience, a bond that could never be broken."
And what a journey it has been. From those early days in the backyard and the neighbour's pool, to the world stage of elite triathlon, Luke Willian has carried with him the lessons, the love, and the indomitable spirit of his early years. They have been the compass that has guided him through the toughest times, the source of strength and resilience that has propelled him to the pinnacle of his sport.
So as we dive into the story of Luke Willian's triathlon career, let us not forget the boy from Brisbane who started it all. The boy with too much energy, with a love for a challenge, and with a family that would be with him every stroke, every pedal, and every step of the way. For it is in those early years that the seeds of greatness were planted, and it is from those roots that a champion would rise, ready to take on the world and inspire us all with his unbreakable spirit.
Continued... The Turning Point.
