Lenny Ramsey

Lenny turned professional in April 2017 after having been a top-class amateur. She duly made the transition to the paid ranks a successful one with some impressive performances.

Three top-10 results in IRONMAN 70.3 arrived in her first season as a pro (at Boulder, Santa Cruz and Austin) before she made the daunting step up to full distance during the 2018 campaign.

Lenny clearly took to it well, posting a super fifth place on her Lake Placid debut before claiming fourth in both Louisville and Wisconsin.

The 2019 campaign brought more full-distance promise for the Dutch ace with excellent thirds in Lanzarote and Chatanooga and a fifth at Cozumel.

Ramsey, who was born in Utrecht but is now based in the United States, got into running in her mid-twenties and after suffering a couple of injuries she decided to expand into swimming and cycling. She started off at Olympic distance, was soon hooked and has never once regretted the decision to take up the sport seriously.

Lenny loves being on the bike, but she says it is the run where she really shines. The swim meanwhile she approaches with the mindset of not losing too much time.

A former rock climber and snowboarder, Lenny names Lake Placid as her favourite training location and Ironman Lanzarote as her favourite event. Her worst pain meanwhile came during IM Cozumel when she became sick during the marathon.

Growing up, Lenny’s hero was pioneering neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield after she read his biography, while now she also has great respect for fellow triathlete Chris Mosier as someone who really stands up for what they believe in.

The drive to improve every day is what powers Ramsey forward in her triathlon career and in life, and she says the thing which scares her most is “that what I’m doing doesn’t matter or isn’t enough - I just hope that throughout my life I will somehow have made the world a better place, to put my skills to good use”.

In terms of the legacy she would like to aim for, Lenny has a very simple but powerful message, explaining: “A place where everyone, independent of race, gender or sexuality, can feel comfortable playing sports and being who they really are.”

As well as being a professional triathlete, Lenny has excelled off the course. She owns a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience.