Try hard! How superstar triathlete Magda Nieuwoudt is raising the game in the world’s toughest sporting competition

Some of us are born to run, pushing ourselves against the wind to reach the finish line. Some of us ride for our lives, spinning the wheels of change into a blur. Some of us prefer to get into the swim of things, making a splash as the waves spur us on. 

And then are those who are driven to try anything once, and then try it again and again and again. They are the elite of the elite, the triathletes who run, cycle, and swim in a series of events that put endurance, discipline, and physical and mental strength to the ultimate test.

Among the very best in the world is Magda Nieuwoudt, whose outstanding achievements include a silver in the World Duathlon Championships (that’s running followed by cycling followed by running), a win in her category in the Cape Ultra, and a podium position in the prestigious Iron Man Pro, the world’s most gruelling triathlon. 

As a professional elite athlete, Magda has come a long way  — and cycled and swum a long way — since she first took to the tarmac as a 12-year-old. 

With an honours degree in Sport Science from North West University, Magda is making her mark as a coach and role model as well. 

She took time from her busy schedule to share her secrets of fitness and change with BrightRock, and to reveal how she lives up to her everyday mantra: “Stay in the now!”