Generations of Grit with Mike and Bella Buenting

In this special Father's Day edition of Tri Beginner’s Luck, we welcome Mike and Bella Buenting, a father-daughter duo. Bella talks about how her father introduced her to triathlons at a young age, her early experiences in the sport including participating in Iron Kids races, her progression to collegiate competitions, and how triathlon has now become a family tradition. Mike shares his journey from competing in local sprint races to taking on Ironman competitions, highlighting the benefits of cross-training that have kept him competing for two decades.

 

The episode explores Mike's unique dynamic as both a coach and a father and the balance between guiding Bella and respecting her collegiate coaches. They also share their most memorable experience of competing together for Team USA at the ITU World Championships in Australia.

 

Let’s Tri this!