Eat, Sleep, Train, Race & Repeat - Tim Berkel

He’s itching to get back onto the world stage - it's been two years since Tim has competed in an Ironman and now in only two months, he’ll be back in his element at Ironman Australia. 

Tim Berkel has been a professional triathlete for 17 years. He grew up in a small country town in Australia and naturally fell into the world of the Australian Football League (AFL) as a kid. Then one Summer, his footy mates started training for a triathlon to keep fit, “I caught the bug,” says Tim, and the rest is history!

At 21 years old, Tim went pro and relieved the bank of Mum and Dad of their duties (his main sponsors for five years!). He competed in his first Ironman at 22 and won his first Ironman when he was 24 years old. Now at 37, he has twelve professional wins under his belt and is eager to increase that number this year. 

An Ironman is just as much a mental game as it is physical, “it is a long eight-hour event in which anything happens,” says Tim. He’s always been motivated and driven but does admit that at times his confidence has lacked. His recent win of the Challenge Shepparton has given him the confidence boost he needs to knuckle down and prepare for his next Ironman. Tim truly believes, “the race doesn’t begin until that last hour when so many people mentally break,” and that’s why mindset training is so important to him. 

Tim admits that his mindset development has been neglected recently with life just getting so hectic, especially with a 4-year-old son keeping him on his toes. Listening to podcasts is one way Tim keeps on top of it, “they’re great for those long training days,” he explains. Tim’s go-to poddy is the show, ‘How They Train’ which asks pro athletes all the questions people want to know, it gives Tim an insight into how other athletes stay on top of their game. To our surprise, Tim is also a fan of true crime podcasts and manages to fit them in when he needs a bit of a thrill. 

However, when Tim is in the racing zone, music is his love. It gets him going and keeps him moving. You’ll rarely catch Tim without his Earshots in - “I use them everywhere,” he says, “in a meeting, before a race, travelling, you name it.” He’s stoked to have found a pair of earphones he knows he won’t lose on the side of the road, and that is thanks to the shocklock magnetic ear clip. “I’ve got something I can sweat in and thrash and I know I’ll still have them for the next race.”