#634 Unlocking the Triathlon Later in Life: Hilary Topper

What if your endurance journey didn't start in your teens… but in your late 40s? In this episode of The Coach Debbie Potts Show, I sit down with Hilary Topper, who began endurance training at 48, started training for triathlons at 53, and built her "why" around one simple mission: to become the best version of herself. Hilary shares the real behind-the-scenes of starting "later," learning new skills from scratch, and building the discipline to show up—especially when it means a 4:00 AM alarm and doing hard things before most people are awake. We also celebrate Hilary's newest project: her recently launched fourth book, Unlocking the Triathlon: The Beginner's Guide to Competing in a Triathlon—Anyone Can Tri, published by Meyer & Meyer Sport. In this episode, you'll hear: Why Hilary started endurance training later in life—and what changed everything for her Whether she was an athlete earlier in life (and how that shaped her comeback story) How hard it was to learn how to swim (and what helped her finally "get it") How 4:00 AM became a habit—without relying on motivation What it really takes to build consistency, confidence, and identity as a triathlete—at any age Connect with Hilary Instagram: @hilarytopper Website: ATriathletesDiary.com