Anna Eberhardt Claims Top Spot at Challenge Shepparton

Leading up to Challenge Shepparton:
My travels throughout Australia began in Perth at the beginning of November. It was my first time to Australia and I had always wanted to see the beautiful country, and of course, some Kangaroos! We arrived in Perth with nice summer conditions greeting us, but it was still generally cold for me compared to the Singapore climate. I did some nice training rides in the hills around Perth and enjoyed the local, friendly environment. I then flew into Melbourne and proceeded to drive up to the race location of Shepparton. I was excited to stay at the start line for the first time in Australia within a strong Pro-women field. The race venue was located at the beautiful Victoria Park with a smooth lake swim, flat but windy two-lap bike course and finally a challenging run at the end.

About my race:
I began my swim strong and I was alongside Karin Toulmin. Similar to the Bintan 70.3 Ironman in August, where I placed second, I was feeling just as strong and the day started in a similar fashion. Once I got onto the bike, I saw some strong competitors pushing very hard, so I was struggling to close the gap. Using my new FSA PowerBox system, I was successfully able to measure my power output precisely and keep it controlled during my entire ride on the bike. After T2, I started the run in 4^th position and realized my legs were in great condition. I therefore set my sights on the ladies in front of me and began to catch them one-by-one. Reene Kiley was leading for almost the entirety of the race, but I overtook her around 500 meters to go and I claimed top spot on the podium. It was a great experience for me and a fantastic result; I am very happy!