Triathlete Profile: Amy Hayes

Amy Hayes claimed first place in the SBS Why Are You a Triathlete contest. She is a native Californian, Air Force veteran and Navy wife. Amy has four children, ages 4, 6, 8, and 10. She currently lives in Zushi, Japan, but over the past 15 years has lived in Japan, Nebraska, Hawaii, California, and England.

Hayes swam the English Channel in 2017, and plans to swim the Ocean’s 7, with Molokai to Oahu planned for this summer and the Tsugaru Strait planned for 2019. Amy also has a 140.6 on her to-do list. Hobbies other than triathlon and swimming include karaoke, sewing, reading, writing, eating, and being a perpetual student.

Why did you do your 1st triathlon?

I move every three years. It’s part of the deal I made when I accepted a marriage proposal from a sailor. Picking up my life over and over gets tiring, but it comes with a chance to repeatedly reinvent myself for, what I aim to be, the better.

I discovered running and fitness during my short time in Hawaii. However I was pregnant half the time I lived there, so I didn’t get too serious about any of it. I did befriend some triathletes, however … and they sparked an interest that was still burning years later.

We moved to San Diego from Hawaii, and it was difficult to get back into the running groove that I seemed to have left behind in the Aloha State. I gained weight. I got pregnant again, and totally slacked off. Toward the end of my pregnancy, I decided I was going to need to be fit to keep up with four kids, aged five and under. A friend posted a link to clearances tri suits. I bought one. My fourth child was born October 24th, 2013 … and two months later, I registered for three 2014 triathlons. They were my Christmas gift from my husband.

Frogman Sprint, Imperial Beach, CA – March

Bass Lake Classic Olympic, Bass Lake, CA – June

Big Kahuna 70.3, Santa Cruz, CA – September

Before that baby turned a year old, I was hooked.

Why are you still doing triathlons?

Well, it’s definitely not because I love riding my bike. Cycling is basically torture for me. I enjoy swimming, tolerate running, and loathe cycling. However, I am addicted to the finish line. That feeling of training for months, pushing through a race, and crossing that line rivals the emotions involved with carrying a baby for months, laboring for hours, and then getting to hold the precious thing you created.

The high associated with that feeling is something I will always chase. The harder it is to get there, the sweeter it tastes, which is why I will keep doing triathlon despite my bike hatred. Nothing easy can make a person feel as good as crossing a finish line of a 70.3 with no bike training.

Also, the people I have met in this sport are some of the best people. Joining a new tri club after moving is a great way to connect and make friends in a new country.

What is your favorite race day photo and why?

The first triathlon I did after moving from San Diego to England was an Olympic distance race in Ely, near the iconic Ely Cathedral. I returned to the same race two years later, just six days after completing a solo swim across the English Channel. I had not trained for run or bike in nearly 18 months, but I went with the goal of getting one decent photo.

This leaping picture in front of the cathedral signifies my completed channel swim, my maintained tri fitness, my last race in England, and my overall silly and crazy spirit … showing that I will never stop being passionate about triathlon, but I will also never take it too seriously.