Nick Quenet (26) is a well-known name in international and national triathlon circles where he has competed in various events since a young age, and recently placed fourth in the French Iron Man competition, missing the podium by only 50 seconds.
Moreover, this placement also means he may compete in the World Iron Man championships on 26 to 27 August in Finland.
Originally from Worcester, where Quenet attended Worcester Primary School before starting high school at Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch, he has always loved sport.
“I grew up with a father who was a triathlete in his day and a mother who was a ballerina,” he wrote on WhatsApp from Poland where he recently trained.
“I naturally was an active kid and was super competitive, so sport was a natural thing for me to get into.”
Quenet’s family still resides in Worcester.
He described his sporting journey up to now as a “rollercoaster” consisting of many happy and challenging times.
The avid sportsman has achieved great success in his sporting career, but experienced a setback in 2019 when he was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
This is a condition where there is an extra pathway in the heart that leads to periods of rapid heart rates that can lead to lightheadedness and fainting, especially when practising a sport, a 2021 article in Modern Athlete magazine said.
However, Quenet persisted with his recovery and never lost sight of his goal: to compete in triathlons internationally.
“Competing at the highest level comes with many tough and tricky times, which I have had my fair share of,” he said. “But the highs would not feel as great if these tough times were not navigated through.”
He said his goals for his sport is to make a career out of it, and to travel the world.
“I am working to become the best in the world.
“My favourite part of triathlons is the places it has taken me to around the world and the amazing people it has brought into my life.
“On a deeper aspect, the continual search for perfecting my craft that gets me out of bed in the morning; as this is a never-ending process.
Quenet explained that because he is competing professionally, he needs to race against “the best” triathletes who are predominantly in the United States of America and Europe.
This is why he is currently refining his skills and competing in Europe.
The superstar athlete was not only gifted with good sporting genes, but book-smarts too, as he completed his bachelor’s and honours degrees in accounting as well as his chartered financial analyst qualification, which will enable him to enter the corporate world after he halts his sporting career.
Quenet will return to South Africa in late September after a series of European summer triathlons comes an end, just in time to “miss the South Africa winter,” he joked.
