Branden Turley

7 years ago and 40 pounds heavier, you wouldn’t find me running farther than a mile or two, if that. My life was spent in a gym lifting weights. Prior to this, I spent my youth playing competitive soccer and football. I might have been one of the smaller athletes on the field, but I was always made sure to be one of the fastest and strongest. Fast forward to November 2013, and here I am treading water ready to race my first Ironman distance triathlon!

The road has been long and painful, but pain was always something I could deal with as an athlete. Since my first sprint distance triathlon, and a disaster I might add at that, I have become addicted to sport that not only requires physical strength, but mental tenacity. I have competed in over 50 endurance-type races, including the Ragnar Relay twice, the Tucson Marathon, Ironman 70.3 Vineman twice, Ironman 70.3 California twice, Ironman 70.3 Mallorca, Arizona Ironman, and more local races than I can count. I now look forward to competing on a much higher level as I try my hand at a qualification slot for World’s 70.3 in 2016 in Australia!