Gillian Sanders was born on 15 October 1981 in Pietermaritzburg and took up triathlon in her youth under the influence of her father and older sister, who both competed in the sport.

Gillian was a member of the South African Mixed relay team- with Henri Schoeman, Kate Roberts and Richard Murray that took second place in the event at the 2014 Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow. All four athletes on a team must complete a super-sprint triathlon - 300m swim, approx 6.6km bike and 1km run - before tagging off to a teammate.

After competing internationally in age group and junior competition Sanders put her triathlon career on hold whilst studying law at Stellenbosch University, where she competed as a 1500m runner. She resumed triathlon competition after graduating, combining it with legal work.

Sanders chose to focus on full-time competition at the end of 2011. She competed in the Women's event at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

2014  Commonwealth Games Mixed Relay silver medal winners from South Africa - Kate Roberts, Henri Schoeman, Gillian Sanders and Richard Murray.

Relay takeover with Richard Murray at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

1995 ITU World Championships with my sister at Cancun Junior Women 13-15 year old.

Kate Roberts won a silver medal in the mixed triathlon relay team - with Gillian Sanders, Henri Schoeman and Richard Murray -  in the 2014 Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow. All four athletes on a team must complete a super-sprint triathlon - 300m swim, approx 6.6km bike and 1km run - before tagging off to a teammate.

Kate was born and raised in Bloemfontein by her parents, Gerald and Karen, with her older brother, Gareth and twin sister, Tessa. She grew up in a closely-knit family and community and learnt at an early age the meaning of competition and determination.

At the age of 11 she started running and within her first year of competition gained her provincial colours for Cross Country. Kate ran and swam competitively throughout her school career and gained her provincial colours for Cross Country, Athletics (800m, 1500m and 3000m) Road Running (10km) Biathlon and also Swimming.

At the age of 15 she gained her National Protea colours for Biathlon and at the age of 17, Kate made the transition from biathlon into triathlon.

She matriculated at Eunice Girls’ School in 2001, and then studied for a BCom Human Resource Management degree at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein.

She also competed in two Olympic Games, in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. She reached a career-high of 7th place on the World Triathlon Circuit in 2010.

Roberts is now the National Head Coach and High-Performance manager for Triathlon South Africa. She also works as an Integral Life Coach, helping athletes transition from professional sports to life after.

Commonwealth silver medallist Roberts quits racing

November 10, 2014

Two-time Olympic triathlete Kate Roberts has officially called it quits on a successful 14-year career, writes Mark Etheridge.

The Bloemfontein-born three-phase ace represented Team South Africa at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics as well as the 2006 and 2014 Commonwealth Games and numerous world championship events.

Once ranked as the world’s seventh best women’s triathlete, won a silver medal in the team event for South Africa at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, earlier this year.

‘To be honest my retirement has been brewing for a long time now and I have realised that to carry on pursuing triathlon at ITU [International Triathlon Union] level requires 100% dedication and motivation and that my heart is not directly in it like it used to be,’ 31-year-old Roberts told Road to Rio 2016.‘It has also been a funding issue and unfortunately I don’t have the financial backing that is required to get to another Olympics. I also feel I desperately want more balance in my life now and since I have been home, I also realise there is a desperate need to develop the future of triathlon in South Africa, and if no one does this then the sport will have no more Olympians.

‘So there are a number of reasons but I am happy with my decision and know it is the right one.’The good news is that Roberts’ invaluable experience will not be lost on the next generation and the Pretoria based athlete will be ploughing back her invaluable knowledge gained on the global circuit.

She wrote on her website blog: ‘My goals for the future are to still remain in the sport and I am aim to start and run an Elite Junior Triathlon academy at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria.

‘This will be my way of giving back to the wonderful sport by developing future South African triathletes. I will endeavour to put the same energy, passion and commitment that I did into my professional triathlon career into my new venture. I will pass on all the many lessons and experiences I’ve learnt along my way and invest them into future triathlon stars.

‘My athletes will be between the ages of 13-20 and I will dedicate hands-on training sessions to them six days a week. I hope to be working with about 15 athletes, enabling me to give them 100% engagement and support, in order for them to be the best triathletes that they can be.’

She’ll work closely with national triathlon coach Lindsey Parry in Pretoria, alongside Team Jeep’s Max Cluer.
‘Very few people have the opportunity to spend 14 years of their life doing something that they truly love and upon reflection I can honestly say that I have been blessed with a greater career than I could ever have imagined. From an early age of nine years old, I had a clear dream to represent South Africa at an Olympics and I can proudly say that I made the most of the opportunities available to me and I gave absolutely everything to live this dream.

‘As an athlete and proud South African, the feeling of wearing my country’s colours was truly an amazing feeling and I will forever be proud to remember it.
‘My triathlon career certainly came with many highs and just as many lows but I believe that I always needed to fail in order to succeed and experience feeling truly satisfied when things did come together for an outstanding race. Being a professional triathlete certainly has defined me and made me who I am today but it is an end of an era and I am excited to be on a new and different journey. ‘

Roberts also took time out to thank those who were behind her success. ‘Firstly, I must thank my family. My parents, brother Gareth and twin sister Tessa for their encouragement and support throughout the years and for the example that they set for me. They taught me that all the hard work and sacrifices are worth it in the long run. I give thanks to all my past coaches. Simon Gray, my swimming coach from the age of nine, who instilled in me the discipline and work ethic to reach the levels that I did in my triathlon career. My running coaches JP Botha and DB Prinsloo, who made me love running so much. My triathlon coaches Libby Burrell who helped me reach my first Olympics in 2008 and Dr Darren Smith who worked with me from 2009 to 2013 and taught me all about the necessary sacrifices, dedication and what it took to be the best triathlete that I could be.

‘To Lindsey Parry and Wayne Riddin who helped me this past year in Pretoria and made my Commonwealth silver medal possible. Thank you for all playing your part in making my journey happen, I feel honoured to have worked under your guidance. And lastly to all of the wonderful life-long friends that I have made along the way, I thank you so much for your friendship, love and support.’

https://www.teamsa.co.za/commonwealth-silver-medallist-roberts-quits-racing/ 

Born in Cape Town in 1989, and grew up on a farm in Rondekuil, just outside of Durbanville  – Richard Murray – a Professional Triathlete who has been to 2 Olympic Games and achieved 3 World Champion Titles. He went to both Paul Roos Gymnasium and Fairmont High Schools and went to study sports coaching and conditioning at ETA Stellenbosch after school.

In the 2014 Commonwealth Games, he won a silver medal in the mixed relay - with Gillian Sanders, Kate Roberts and Henri Schoeman. All four athletes on a team must complete a super-sprint triathlon - 300m swim, approx 6.6km bike and 1km run - before tagging off to a teammate. At the 2012 Summer Olympics men's triathlon on Tuesday, 7 August, he placed 17th. 

In the triathlon event at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro Richard finished in 4th place - 7 seconds behind his South African team-mate Henri Schoeman.

Henri Schoeman was born on 3 October 1991 in Vereeniging. He is the brother of the South African swimmer, Riaan Schoeman. 

“I was born in Vereeniging and when we moved down to Durban my parents wanted my brother, Riaan and I, to start swimming lessons. My dad, Joe, was also runner and he competed in a number of half-marathons and duathlons. He was obviously a big influence on us growing up. After a few lessons, my coach, Alisdair Hatfield, who saw potential in me, told my parents that I could excel in the sport.

Henri finishing his first Midmar Mile.

Schoeman was a strong swimmer at school and soon progressed to be a strong talent at long-distance swimming for his country. He switched sports to take up the triathlon in his mid-teens and won the Under 19 South African championship.

He represented his country at the 2016 ITU Grand Final in Cozumel, where he won the gold medal. The win came in the final 500m, as Schoeman bypassed Jonathan Brownlee (GBR), who struggling in the heat, and Alistair Brownlee (GBR), who had stopped to help will his brother over the line.

In the 2014 Commonwealth Games, he won a silver medal in the mixed relay - with Gillian Sanders, Kate Roberts and Richard Murray. All four athletes on a team must complete a super-sprint triathlon - 300m swim, approx 6.6km bike and 1km run - before tagging off to a teammate.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics, he won a bronze medal, which was South Africa's first, and so far only, Olympic medal in the sport.

He won the triathlon gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.

His bronze at Rio in 2016 is the first Olympic medal South Africa has won in the sport.

In 2021, he competed in the men's triathlon at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo.

“I really enjoyed swimming and my results became an indicator to me that I could do this. In primary school, I was the Victor Ludorum at nearly every swimming gala and in high school I was the best endurance swimmer in the country in my age group. After a while though, my performances in the pool waned and I decided to make the choice of swapping to triathlons. Having a swimming background, I made the transition, which was slow at first, but I really found my niche,” he explained.

2014  Commonwealth Games Mixed Relay silver medal winners from South Africa - Kate Roberts, Henri Schoeman, Gillian Sanders and Richard Murray.

Henri Schoeman Born to be an Olympian

25 July 2016

In the quarter century that Henri Schoeman’s been alive, there’s never been a time when he wasn’t involved in some sort of sport. Growing up with a father who excelled in running, cycling and duathlon, Henri and his brother Riaan would often join him at the track.

 Later they would do surf lifesaving and become champion swimmers. In high school Henri became the best long distance swimmer in his age group in South Africa; but it was at the age of 17 that Henri decided to shift focus and transition into triathlon. In the triathlon, Henri would go on to win the national u/19 Triathlon Championships for two consecutive years, win the African Championship 4 times, win the world cup and come home with a silver in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the UK.

 To say Henri Schoeman was born to be an Olympian would be an understatement.

“I’ve dreamt of going to the Olympics since I can remember.”

Dreaming and doing are vastly different and getting to the Olympics has meant a tough training schedule and early nights.

“I wake up at 04:55, go to swimming, and finish around 07:00, I would then have breakfast and start my bike session. This is followed by a nap and lunch. At around 15:00 I start getting ready for either a hard or easy run. Afterwards, I will have an ice bath for recovery and then I have dinner. I try to get to bed between 21:00 and 22:00.”