Kat Matthews Q&A with WYN republic
Meet Kat Matthews, one of the most inspiring forces in triathlon today. The 2024 IRONMAN Pro Series Champion and 2025 IRONMAN Texas Champion for the third year in a row, Kat’s rise in the sport has been nothing short of extraordinary.
She discovered triathlon in 2015, starting at the grassroots level with local sprint and standard-distance races. By 2019, she had turned professional—all while serving as a Physiotherapist with the British Army. Her breakthrough came quickly, marked by a runner-up finish at the 2022 IRONMAN World Championship in St. George, followed by another silver at the 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Lahti.
WYN republic: What did your off-season look like this year? Any activities you do in the off-season that you usually don't do during race season?
Kat: I raced late in Taupo last year (Dec '24) so I was very appreciative of being able to hit Christmas and NY celebrations harder than usual ;). Due to so much racing in 2024 I wanted to give myself the headspace to relax and enjoy "just" training again but of course I got sucked into the hard grind quickly and with a new coach, motivation came too easily. So, no, nothing unusual about my off-season, except a big change to my training program/sessions on the bike. I'd caveat this with, I'm not sure I've honed down a "usual" off-season yet!WYN republic: What’s your most significant focus in pre-season training?
Kat: My biggest focus was to "be braver", push myself harder than I think is acceptable / was previously. This I mainly had the opportunity to do in cycling training but also overall volume and run sessions too.
WYN republic: What WYN product(s) have been in high rotation during your pre-season training?
Kat: I wear my (custom!) WYN cycling kit (Velocity 3.0s and Thermal Cycling Jacket) my training attitude gets a massive boost. It's comfortable to wear everyday, washes so well and I feel really great in it :D !!
WYN republic: You are the two-time defending Ironman Texas champion. As a British athlete, what continues to draw you back to this particular race each year?
Kat: Great question. Ultimately, it's the 2nd biggest race of the year (after the World Champs) and I want the opportunity to race the best. Secondly, the location and the race experience have some very strong memories for me and I feel in some ways tied to the community.
WYN republic: What event(s) are you most looking forward to in 2025?
Kat: IM Hamburg and the IM World Champs. Oh! and the IM70.3 WC after-party.
We hope you enjoyed learning more about Kat Matthew's pre-season training in our WYN republic Q&A. To learn more information about Kat and her upcoming races and to see her results, follow her Instagram ! And while you're at it, don't forget to hit that 'Follow' button for @wynrepublic to stay in the loop with our extraordinary professional athletes and to be the first to know about our latest releases for triathlon, cycling, and running gear! 🏊🚴🏃
