Ewa Komander

Polish star Ewa Komander took up triathlon at the age of 14. Already a swimmer and part of a running group, her coach encouraged her to branch out into triathlon.

Since then Ewa has swum, biked and run her way through a career over shorter distances (a top-10 regular at European level) up to IRONMAN 70.3 competition and now the full distance as well.

The move to longer distances came somewhat by chance, when Ewa fractured her foot in 2011 while preparing for the 2012 London Olympic Games. Surgery and a long period of rehab followed, and after missing out on the London Games, she decided the time was right to move up.

Perhaps her career highlights so far are podium finishes in 2016 (second) and 2017 (third) in her home 70.3 event in Gdynia. She was also Polish National Champion in 2015 and grabbed second at Challenge Gran Canaria in 2018.

Full distance is something Ewa has finally stepped up to now, her early results showing real promise with top-10 finishes at both Tallinn (fourth) and Cozumel (sixth) in 2019.

Ewa’s base in recent years has been Girona in Spain, the favourite spot for a number of high-profile triathletes. She says it gives her the perfect surroundings in which to train for her life on the circuit.

When she is not competing professionally, one of Ewa’s main loves is spending time with her dog Riko. He has been with her since that rehab following foot surgery, and as part-Jack Russell was partly chosen so he could go running with his owner.

When it comes to the triathlon disciplines, Ewa always believes she could be better at the swim but really sees herself as an all-rounder. Without question she is at her happiest on the bike.