For German professional triathlete Till Schramm, the new season begins where the old one left off. After the 28-year-old father of two finished the 2013 season with a tenth-place finish at Challenge Phuket , the Cologne native is heading back to Asia early in the 2014 season. This coming Saturday, February 22nd, he will compete in the Challenge Philippines , a half-distance triathlon.
“I feel really at home here, I’ve trained well, met some great people, and had a lot of fun with my fellow professional athlete Rasmus Petraeus. Now it’s finally time to get to the starting line. The course is tough, but I know what I’m capable of,” says Till Schramm, looking forward to the start of the season. “Since December, I’ve been training according to my own plans and listening more to my body. So far, it’s working very well. I’ve improved a lot, especially in swimming.”
At Challenge Philippines, the only German professional athlete present will face strong international competition. The elite field is led by two-time Ironman World Champion Chris McCormack, who is competing with a strong Australian contingent. Among the European athletes tackling the half-distance triathlon are Spaniard Eneko Elosegui, Dane Rasmus Petraeus, and Swede Fredrik Croneberg.
Till Schramm plans to focus more on international triathlon races this season. "My family and I much prefer the international lifestyle, and racing with top athletes is far more fun. Only by competing against the best in the field can you develop both personally and athletically. My goal is to hold my own in prestigious international races."