For Triathlete Stefan Daniel, Patience is Key

Stefan Daniel is an elite triathlete who competes for Canada. His extensive resume includes two Paralympic medals and 5(!) World Championship titles in the PTS5 category.

Hey Stef thanks for checking in with us, why don’t we start off with the highlight from your 2022 season?

I had a couple of highlights from the season. Claiming a world championship title again was a special feeling. I have had a lot of injury trouble for the past couple of seasons and experienced some burnout after Tokyo. To win another world title after a couple of tough seasons was something I did not expect.

The other highlight was doing my first 70.3 in Santa Cruz in September. I have always loved competing against my able-bodied peers and wanted to try the longer distance. It was a great experience, and I am excited to do more in the future.

What was your biggest learning, or lesson from last year?

My biggest learning from 2022 was the importance of patience. I took a long break last fall because of a shin injury I had in my last XC season with the University of Calgary Dinos. We knew that I would not likely be running pain-free nor be in full fitness until late summer/early fall. I was forced to take things one day at a time and keep a positive mindset.

It kept me motivated and paid off at the end of the year when I finally got back to full health.

Now that the long 2022 season is over, what’s your focus for the off-season?

Enjoy time with family and friends! It was a longer season than I am used to, so I will take a good chunk of time off. I will start training around Christmas before getting into the last stretch of my business degree which I will hopefully be finishing in Fall 2023.

What’s a process goal, or something you’ll be trying to improve in 2023?

A process goal will be to focus more on my aero position on the bike. I still notice that I begin to sway my upper body when I am tired, so it is something I would like to improve. It can be hard to be disciplined with that, so I want to make it a priority in all my bike sessions.

What’s the race you’re most excited for in 2023?

My most anticipated race is the Para World Championships in Pontevedra! I hope to be able to keep the momentum going this upcoming year and set myself up well for 2024. I will also be doing another 1 or 2 70.3 races, depending on what the pro schedule looks like. Should be a fun year!