Feet resting at the edge of the brick, freshman Hunter Dorrill peers down into the clear, transparent pool water. Dorrill freezes as other kids surround him, terrified of the challenge ahead of him. Goggles foggy, Dorrill takes his leap of faith and jumps into the pool, beginning his first of many triathlons.
Dorrill competed in his first multi-sport event at around 5 years old and his passion has not wavered since. For Dorrill, triathlons are about so much more than the numbers and statistics, making the sport more variable and unpredictable. In his triathlon career, Dorrill has mastered the ins and outs of the sport.
“There is so much strategy when considering how to spend your energy,” Dorrill said. “Especially on the transition, I’ve won quite a few races even though people have beaten me a little bit on the swim, a little bit on the bike, and a little on the road because I’ve still outpaced them on the transition, so it’s a very important part.”
Through many challenges and tribulations, Dorrill has realized how uncontrolable the sport is and has focused on harnessing the aspects he can control. With each triathlon he competes in, he learns something new and improves from his mistakes.
“In every single triathlon I’ve done, something has gone wrong,” Dorrill said. “Sometimes I forget a little bit of nutrition, but, at other times, my whole bike breaks.”
Dorrill has used water polo and running as his way of training, providing him with elite conditioning. His work ethic and strategy have lifted his performance to new heights, enabling him to travel to the USA Triathlon Multisport National Championships in Omaha, Nebraska over the summer of 2024.
“It was really cool to see races with people from all around the United States,” Dorrill said. “It was crazy to see a lesser known sport on the ‘world’ stage.”
As a competitor in triathlons as well, Dorrill’s dad, Jeffrey, inspired him to pursue the sport and has fostered his passion and performance.
“I’ve gained a lot of trust in him,” Dorrill said. “Going to triathlons, there are so many things that can go wrong… and he figures out most of those things and does most of the planning.”
Dorrill will be competing in the Triathlon World Championships at Pontevedra, Spain in the summer of 2025 and is excited to embrace the experience.
