Five Minutes with Courtney Hancock

Today we chat with two time Australian Ironwoman champion Courtney Hancock after her recent victory
So First of all how would you describe yourself in a few short words …?
Lover of life
With such an intensive occupation you must have to remain motivated and dedicated at all times what is that motivating force for you ….?
Absolutely. If you aren’t motivated or have the right amount of dedication, you are never going to do those little extras, for example train as hard as your body can go; and most importantly, you will never be the best athlete you could possibly be.
So far in your career what would you say has been your ultimate highlight …?
This is a hard one to pick. I have been so blessed to of had so many amazing moments in my career.
Such as winning this years Australian Ironwoman title is such a stand out to me. It had been such a hard season for me to get through, as my life was very up and down with some things.
So to finish on top like that with one of my best races yet, I could not be more ecstatic.
It has been two weeks since that win and I am still bouncing around and with my winning grin still plastered to my face 🙂
And heading into a competition what is your preparation like and what’s involved?
Well for starters my emotions are very on edge about week out from competition; I am very sorry to my family and boyfriend for that.
Around a month out I very focused on eating plenty of good foods: such as pasta, fruit, veggies, rice and of course, drinking plenty of water. I also ensure I am consistently getting good night sleeps, incorporating stretching into my daily routine, checking in with my physio at “Surf life physio” at least twice a week and most importantly, chilling out and not thinking about the race ahead.
I never think of the race or what result I want. I just focus on getting myself the fittest, healthiest and strongest person I can possibly be on that start line. It’s then up to my body and mind to do the rest.
How important is the support of others in your success …?
If I didn’t have the support of my amazing family, friends and boyfriend, there is no way I would ever be where I am today. They are my rock and have been there for me through the amazing races, and the not so amazing ones.
They all mean the world to me and have been there every step of the way. Their belief in me is phenomenal and it is such a unbelievable feeling after wining, seeing my family with such proud smiles.
And what is next for you …?
Well at the moment I am in my “off season.” So I’m off to Hawaii soon for a whole two weeks. YAY!
However, after this little holiday, I will be straight into training for the Gold Coast half marathon; which I am lucky enough to be an ambassador for.
I am also working on some new designs for my swim wear range “Kozii Courtz”, which I am very excited to launch.
After this, I will back into training for the iconic event, the “Coolangatta Gold”.
I am quite a busy person, but I love it so much and i could not be more thankful for the life I have.
Time for a plug –
A day in the life of my sponsors and I:
I wake up at 5am, get ready for swim training, put on a pair of my Kozii swimwear, pop on one of my Tara wolf bracelets, make a Endura choc shake, place Willi thongs on my feet and then jump into my Skoda Yeti car (thanks to James Frizelle).
Straight after swimming I put on my ISC compression pants to assist with recovery, eat my Kelloggs Nutri Grain and do some updates on my website www.courtneyhancock.com.au
For my afternoon session, I pack my Xcel board, Gibbons ski, Bennett ski paddle, oakley sunnies and my hot pink Newton shoes. I’m then set to head off to Northcliffe Surf Club for a tough training session.