With rain pouring down and temperatures hovering around zero, an all-ages race in central Alberta served as Sophia Howell’s introduction to triathlon.
“It was so cold,” Howell, laughing, says of that springtime ordeal in Drayton Valley.
But inspired by her mom Grace, a runner who had completed a couple of triathlons, the Grade 9 kid shivered through her first competition. Soon gaining an appreciation for the sport — in particular, the training and camaraderie — the Airdrie, Alta., native was sold.
Mathis Beaulieu tells a similar story.
Possessing incredible energy as a lad in Québec City, he had been devoted to soccer. But the prospect of chasing a ball for a club outfit and a school team didn’t appeal to him. When a buddy nudged him towards triathlon, he jumped — and learned on the fly.
There were laughs when Beaulieu showed up for a swimming session in big, baggy trunks. And he remembers his first race when, at the last minute, the opening stage was moved into a pool — a shift that required staggered starts. “It was weird.”
No matter. “I really liked it,” says Beaulieu. “After the first year, I fell in love with it. I stopped soccer a year after I started triathlon. Since then, I haven’t stopped.”
From those modest beginnings, here they are.
Youngsters still, Howell and Beaulieu are members of Team Canada at the 2025 World Triathlon Championships in Wollongong, Australia. They race Thursday over the Olympic distance — 1.5-kilometre swim, 40-kilometre bike, 10-kilometre run — in the U23 men’s and women’s showcases.
Consider them contenders.
“The performances that Mathis and Sophia have had in the World Triathlon Championship Series are indicative of athletes with medal potential,” says Dan Proulx, high-performance director of Triathlon Canada. “Right now, we’re up and coming. We have pretty good strength and depth, which is exciting. It’s something that’s been building over the last few years — the critical mass of really good athletes.”
Other Canadians competing in the U23 category — Isla Britton, Montreal; Daniel Damien, Victoria; Sidney Clement, Vancouver; Blake Harris, Sanford, Man.; Molly Lakustiak, Regina; and Kira Gupta Baltazar, Kleinburg, Ont.
The junior contingent, which races Friday, includes Beatrice Filion, Candiac, Que.; Brooke Rousselle, Calgary; Robi Racine, St-Paul, Que.; Leandre Binette, Saint-Christophe d’Arthabaska, Que.; and Henry Bristol, Regina.
Saturday, Calgary’s Stefan Daniel chases the World Triathlon Para Championship crown, a title he’s bagged six times.
The elite event — featuring Tyler Mislawchuk, Oak Bluff, Man.; Charles Paquet, Port-Cartier, Que.; Emy Legault, L’Île Perrot, Que.; and Desirae Ridenour, Cowichan Bay, B.C. — is slated for Sunday.
“Obviously, we’ve had incredible history in the sport with athletes winning at the highest level,” says Proulx. “The progression we’re seeing now has been in the works for several years and it’s just coming to fruition.”
Howell and Beaulieu are blown away by their remarkable journeys, from tentative first steps to immersion in the international scene. During online chats last week, they nodded when the conversation turned to the 2028 Olympic Games — not as a far-flung dream, but as a legitimate target.
That’s how far they’ve come.
“It is crazy,” says Howell, 23. “I didn’t know any of this even existed. I had very little knowledge about how far I could go in the sport. It’s such an interesting pathway and everyone’s progress looks different. It’s pretty cool to think back to racing in Drayton Valley.”
Before this week’s event, she raced in China. From Australia, she’s bound for Chile. Beaulieu’s passport is equally tattered.
“Back when I was 13 years old, I would never have believed I could travel all over the world,” says Beaulieu, 21. “I did local races, provincial races, but I didn’t know how big it was.”
Well-seasoned now as full-time athletes, they have declared themselves ready for Thursday’s challenge.
Building on her 10th place at last year’s World U23 Championship in Torremolinos, Spain — “I was in control of the race for a lot of it and I felt really strong”— Howell wants more. “Definitely shooting for top five, but not to say I’d be disappointed if I didn’t,” she says. “This year has been a lot of learning, my first year competing on the WTCS circuit. I’ve really had to be OK with not putting too much pressure on myself and just learning as much as I can. “
Beaulieu, meanwhile, draws confidence from his late-August showing — 13th among elite men at the WTCS event in the French Riviera. There, despite having missed much of the 2024 campaign with a cranky knee, he stayed in the mix with the starry likes of England’s Alex Yee and New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde.
His goal this week? No surprise.
“I expect to win this race,” says Beaulieu. “There’s a lot of guys that are really fast this year, but I know with the training I’ve done I can take the top spot. But it’s the worlds — anything can happen.”
