Laura Siddall

Ask ‘Sid’ about what she is most proud of and there are number of answers, but perhaps the most telling is “living the life that I do”.

Clearly Laura, driven by resilience and stubbornness, enjoys everything to the full, both inside and outside the sport of triathlon. Ask her where she is based, and the answer is “global”. She is a true sporting nomad.

Her love affair with triathlon began back in 2007 when she moved to Australia, and being the self-confessed sports nut she is, she was looking for something to take up. She bought a hybrid road/mountain bike and it all started from there.

“Friends suggested I try triathlon, I guess with it being such a big sport in Australia. I found online a beginner’s course in my local area and signed up. And yep, I was sucked in!”

Laura, who has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and spent her Gap Year as an Officer in the British Army, decided to go down the professional triathlon route in 2014 when she relocated to San Francisco.

She had already proved her elite potential by claiming four age-group World Championship titles over three different distances in 2013, including two in the space of a week either side of a flight from Las Vegas to London.

Her impressive career CV includes a string of IRONMAN victories with three of them being consecutive successes in Australia (2017, 2018 and 2019). But she has also shown admirable consistency at the highest level in the 70.3 ranks and in Challenge Family events.

‘Sid’ has also taken on perhaps the biggest adversary of all for triathletes, the World Championship at Kona, finishing 15th in 2017, 17th in 2018 and 25th in 2019.

If all that wasn’t enough, she became ETU European Long Distance Champion in 2018.

Away from the triathlon course, Laura has a few things she just cannot live without, including her family and her Sodastream. The favourite cheat meal meanwhile is pizza.

When quizzed about her quirks Siddall says she is “just weird in general”. She still has a room full of LEGO from growing up, clearly the forerunner to that career in engineering.

Laura meanwhile has very defined thoughts about what she wants her legacy to be.

“Made an impact on the sport and athletes and changed it for the better. Inspired, supported, helped others of all ages and abilities, both in and outside the sport. Respected throughout the sport and broader.”