With a career spanning over 15 years at the elite level, Angela Naeth has established herself as a top-tier professional triathlete, gravel cyclist, founder of influential women's endurance teams, and community builder. 

The 2018 Ironman North American Champion has thirty-six 70.3 podiums and three sub-nine-hour Ironmans to her name, alongside two top-10 finishes at Unbound Gravel. Her initiatives, the triathlon team IRACELIKEAGIRL and gravel team GirlsGetGritty, have become more than just teams – they're communities where women find support, encouragement, and the confidence to pursue their athletic dreams. Read on to learn more about what drives her racing, coaching and challenging herself with new adventures. 

I started as a track and field athlete during my university years, and at that time, I hadn't considered triathlon. Before university, I spotted a triathlon bike in a shop window and impulsively bought it, intrigued by how fast it looked. However, I didn’t even know how to use the aerobars and no one I knew had a triathlon bike, so I quickly sold it and bought a simple road bike. It wasn’t until after university, when I got into road cycling, that I started looking for new challenges. Back home in Northern BC, I found an Olympic-distance triathlon in Alberta, about six hours away, and that race changed everything for me—I fell in love with the sport.

That winter, I attended a training camp in California where a coach noticed my potential and suggested I seriously consider the sport. I completed my first half-Ironman not long after that and soon earned my pro card.

When COVID lockdowns hit, like many others, my training and racing were disrupted. My bike sponsor sent me a gravel bike during that time, and once again, I found a new love. In 2021, after restrictions were lifted, I entered my first gravel race—Unbound Gravel—and finished 6th overall

Both the gravel and triathlon communities are special to me, and I find that the support and camaraderie between athletes in both sports are similar. I lead two women’s teams—one for triathlon and another for gravel. These teams are incredibly diverse, with athletes ranging from their 20s to an 82-year-old!  There are two 60-year-olds who I absolutely want to be when I am their age. As a coach it’s incredible to play a small part in helping athletes achieve their goals, cross finish lines, or set personal records.

2024 has been a particularly challenging year for me. In March, I broke my hip and had surgery to insert a metal plate and screws. Six months later, I made my comeback at Ironman Chattanooga. I’m incredibly grateful that my recovery has gone so well, and I credit it to an excellent surgeon, a carefully planned recovery process, and my team (coaches, friends and partner) that truly understood the balance between pushing limits and allowing time for healing. I was back on the bike two days after surgery, starting slowly with 15 minutes. From there, I built up gradually, especially with running, being careful not to rush the process. As elite athletes, we often push our limits. It does take patience after major surgery — something I had to work on.

My final race of the season will be Ironman Cozumel, and I’m already looking forward to next year. I’ll be returning to Unbound Gravel and Challenge Roth. I will race other gravel events and couple half-Ironmans, full-Ironmans and most definitely find some stage racing adventures. Our IRACELIKEAGIRL and GirlsGetGritty teams' annual training camp is in February, where our team members come together for a fun weekend to start the year off on the right foot.