Let’s begin a new series

As I said in my introductory post, our beloved sport is full of great, inspiring, and exciting stories and the truth is that I want to share them. Our first-ever interviewee at the On Your Mark: A Triathlete’s blog is none other than the Brazilian Manoel Messias.

Last year we spent a few weeks together at an altitude training camp in the beautiful St. Moritz. I was lucky to spend time with him and I can tell you, he is a true stick-to-earth and humble person. He is silent, but he can eat you alive on races. When the idea of creating a blog started to form a shape in my mind, I knew that I want an interview with Him. I felt that he is someone who should be known by others, I am sure he motivates the new generation of Brazilian youngsters to pick triathlon instead of other sports. (We will cover this topic later in this blog)

Manoel is currently 8th in the World Rankings as of the writing of this blog. Also, he is ranked 5th in the Olympic Ranking. (No worries if the different types of rankings are unclear to you, I am planning to write about the system of Rankings in the Olympic Triathlon, stay tuned!) Just recently he finished 3rd at the season opener of the World Triathlon Championship Series in Abu Dhabi. This performance placed him in the group of athletes who are contenders for the WTCS title. An interesting fact is that he placed just 47th out of T2, but what he showcased was phenomenal. He ended with the second-best run time, finishing just six seconds behind world-class former Diamond League runner, Alex Yee. Another noteworthy event is the 2022 Valencia World Cup, where he showcased a masterclass of Olympic triathlon racing in every sense. It was a demonstration that he is just as strong and self-assured on the bike as he is on foot, he was a man on a mission… If I were racing against Manoel, I would continuously check over my shoulder.

Early years

It is no secret that South American countries live and die for football, especially Brazil. (Note: I’m thinking of European football, also known as soccer) Brazil has many world-wide recognized greats and legends, for example, Neymar and Ronaldinho, just to mention my favorites. How did you find triathlon in a country where everything is about football, or triathlon found you?

I used to play soccer at school, but the truth is that I’ve never been good at ball sports. I did my first triathlon through a social project of my city’s federation in 2009. So we can say that I found triathlon just as triathlon found me. Also, I’ve been competing in surfing championships back then.

Your first documented race(according to triathlon.org) was in 2013 where you placed 3rd at the South American Championships. You didn’t waste your time, you quickly became the National Junior Champion and also you won an Elite American Cup. But we can say that the biggest breakthrough was your win at the Junior World Championships in 2015, only 6 years after your first triathlon race. This was a huge step towards entering the elite field. What was it like and what was the hardest part of stepping up to another level?

The hardest part without a doubt is adapting to the training and routine of an elite athlete, and figuring out how to turn the key to perform at a higher level. It was everything but an easy thing, but to be honest it is a never-ending process. This sport is always changing and we have to keep up with it.

You described this process as a tough task. I can only agree with you. The race pace is drastically faster, and you have to learn and adapt quickly. What advice do you have for athletes in my age, who are aiming for the elite level and are in the doorway of elite triathlon?

Believe in yourself and believe in the process! If you keep these two things in mind, everything will flow better! Tons of young athletes have to take this journey, you can’t give up.

Living the dream

You also competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and you crossed the finish line in the top 30. (actually it was held in 2021 due to the covid-19 pandemic). I can’t even imagine how both an honor and a burden that must be. How did you handle it?

Being at the Olympic Games was really a dream. So I wanted to make the most of that moment. It will be a life-long experience for sure.

Looking at it from the outside the Brazilian team is really strong and you guys seem to be best friends. Just to back up my statements: You won the 2019 Pan American games with the mixed relay also you placed 1st at the 2022 Americas Triathlon Champs. Do you train together or do you train alone? How are you preparing in Brazil? What does an average day look like for you?

For the Abu Dhabi WTCS season opener, I prepared with a group of young Brazilian triathletes. Normally I train in Brazil with Reinaldo (Reinaldo Colucci who is currently ranked 52nd in the world in Long Distance Triathlon) and Luisa (Luisa Baptista who is 27th in the World Triathlon Ranking and also an Olympian). A typical training day involves 5km of swimming, 2 hours of biking, and 1 hour of running.

It is obvious that this year you are planning to rank as high as possible and then you are aiming for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. But look a bit further. What do you want to do in the distant future?

As an athlete, I would like to race at long distances for a couple of years. It’s a whole different thing, but I’ve always wanted to try myself out in that way too. Most importantly I would like to help the modality in Brazil, in many ways. They gave me so much, I must give them back.

Transition Zone

This little section is going to be a constant part of every single interview. It will contain 5 short questions and the answers has to be one-liners. Let’s roll!

What music motivates you during the toughest training or competition?

I like everything! I’m usually listening to Rap, Pop, and MPB which is a popular Brazilian music genre. (writers note: you should check it out!)

What is your go-to food the day before races?

As simple as possible, rice, chicken, and fruits.

Apart from your own country, where do you feel the most at home in the world?

I would say Italy because I have people from my family living there.

If you could go on vacation anywhere, would you choose a beach or the mountains?

Beach, without a doubt

If you had to choose a sport, but it can’t be triathlon, what would you choose?

Probably surfing, as I mentioned before, when I was younger I participated in regional Surf Championships.

Final words

Aaaaand this concludes our first-ever interview. I am really thankful to Manoel for taking it with me. I am sure I can say it in all of our readers’ names, we wish you the best of luck for this year and beyond! Hopefully, there will be part two, where we will discuss your further successes.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. If you are interested in past blogs, go check them out and if you are interested in the next ones, follow me on my socials to get notified. If you found a mistake or have an idea for the future, please do not hesitate to reach out to me on the given platforms! Please note that all the images used were downloaded from triathlon.org. The rights belong to World Triathlon.

More interviews coming soon…

See Ya! :)