Three-time Ironman world champion Craig Alexander at North Wollongong Beach. Picture: ANDY ZAKELI
Budding Illawarra triathletes rubbed shoulders with the best this weekend as three-time ironman world champion Craig Alexander shared his training secrets.
The Cronulla-based legend was in Wollongong for an elite training camp which attracted 20 top triathletes from around Australia.
At a lunchtime meet-and-greet, fans quizzed the 39-year-old about his diet, training and downtime.
They also asked if he would compete at the next Hawaiian Ironman - the event he won in 2008, 2009 and 2011.
"The answer is I don't know yet, but I think yes," he said.
Alexander said the three-day training camp was a chance to share the knowledge he had built up over his 16-year career and give young Australian triathletes an edge over international competition.
He said Wollongong was the perfect location for such a camp.
"I know a lot of international athletes come out here and they can't believe the facilities we've got in Australia," he said.
"Wollongong is an ideal spot for a sports science training camp - especially with the university's world-class facilities - and I've seen plenty of the area's beautiful scenery courtesy of some long bike rides down this way."
He said his sport was becoming one of the biggest individual participation sports in Australia and encouraged young people get involved in all kinds of triathlons.
"I think it just fits in with our lifestyle because everyone growing up on the coast will learn to swim and ride a bike," he said.
"My advice would just be to always have fun, find people to train with to make it social and set yourself some goals, whether that's to win a world title, do a half-ironman or just finish a small local triathlon."