Dede Griesbauer is a force to be reckoned with in the world of endurance sports. The former Team USA swimmer switched to triathlon almost two decades ago and has earned an impressive list of accolades since – from setting an IRONMAN UK course record in 2006 to becoming a 12-hour Time Trial World Champion in 2016, where she rode further than every male athlete. Four years later, at the age of 49, she won Ultraman Florida and set a new world record in the process. And last year, at 52, she won the Ultraman World Championships in Hawaii, again setting a new course record.
If Ultraman hasn’t been on your radar, here’s a recap: the 3-day event starts with a 10K swim and 90-mile bike. On day two, it’s a 171.4-mile bike, and on day three, a 52.4-mile run. Even more impressively, Dede won the World Championship race by almost 2 hours. Below, the multi-time Ironman champion gives me the lowdown on how her career in endurance sport led her to sign up for Ultraman and what it took to win the title.