Heather Jackson Herbalife’s Iron Woman · Herbalife ® product that you use during training and races? During my big training and races, I primarily use Herbalife24® CR7 Drive

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Were you an athlete growing up? What sports did you participate in?I have been playing sports my ENTIRE life. I owe my love and passion for exercise and � tness to my parents. I’m just so grateful to them for giving me so many different opportunities but ultimately letting me choose my own direction. I played ice hockey, soccer, tennis, softball, basketball, lacrosse, did gymnastics, rode horses…I tried it all. In high school and college, my focus turned to soccer and ice hockey but prior, it was ALL sports.

Was triathlon something that was on your radar growing up? How did you first get involved in the sport?I don’t think I knew about triathlon until I was in college, so it de� nitely wasn’t on my radar growing up. I did my � rst triathlon during a summer home from college. My parents got into them before I did and I went with them to the “Race to the Face” triathlon at Cannon Ski Mountain in New Hampshire.

To be a successful triathlete you must have a tremendous amount of discipline. Is that something your parents instilled in you growing up?I credit my parents for everything I’ve been able to accomplish in my life. They made so many sacri� ces to give me the best education they could. They carted me around for years to different sports events, sometimes three different practices a day after school. My mom was a teacher and my dad was a police of� cer, so they know what it’s like to work hard to make ends meet.

What was that first triathlon like? Did you feel like your training had prepared you for it, or were there things that happen during a race that you hadn’t anticipated?The � rst triathlon I ever did was a local sprint distance race. I hadn’t trained for it prior but just hopped into it for a fun adventure. It was a different format; we mountain biked about 12 miles on some trails to a lake. Then we had to drop our bikes and swim across the lake. The lake was at the base of a ski mountain, so when we got out of the water we had to run up the ski mountain under the main

What motivates a person to swim nearly two and a half miles, follow that up with a 112-mile bicycle race, and then run a full marathon? For Herbalife sponsored professional triathlete Heather Jackson, that’s just a regular day at work. Halfway through the 2017 Triathlon season, Heather takes a quick break from her intense training schedule to explain how her lifelong love of sports, along with the support of her family and her husband, inspire her to excel in this grueling sport.

Find out what drives professional triathlete Heather Jackson

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chairlift. I love any sort of competition but this was so different for me, it was an individual test of myself.

Although triathlon is considered an individual sport, there’s actually a great deal of support involved. Tell us a bit about how you and Wattie work together during training and on race days.I owe so much of my success in triathlon to my husband, Wattie. He does everything he can to help me try and be the best I can be in this sport. He cooks, cleans the house, takes care of my bike and other equipment, helps with my sponsor relationships, obligations, scheduling, etc. He is out on his bike with me for every session I do. He is just literally there by my side for everything and I wouldn’t be where I am without him.

How did the two of you meet?I had moved out to San Jose, Calif., right out of college to teach ninth grade World History. Wattie was working for Triathlete Magazine and had come to the San Jose area to do a story on the local triathlon team that I was a member of. He brought his bike with him and joined our weekly ride. There was de� nitely an instant connection but we didn’t start dating until over a year later.

What is a typical race day (if there is such a thing) like for a triathlete? How much preparation time is involved? A typical IRONMAN race day means that the alarm is set for three hours prior to race start in order to get up and get a good solid breakfast in. This usually

means around 3:30 a.m. for a 6:30 a.m. race. We get in the water about 20 minutes before to warm up. When the cannon sounds, the swim begins and it is around an hour swim for me, followed by around � ve hours on the bike, and then a marathon to run, which is a little over three hours for me. So, it is around a nine-hour day straight for me. To do one of these, I train for three to four months with about 25 hours a week of training.

Your training routine during the triathlon season is intense. Do you take a break from training once the season ends? What do you look forward to most about that off-time?I de� nitely take an off-season after the IRONMAN World Championships each year, so that usually means November and December. I stay active in those months and try to break a sweat every day. I mostly look forward to just a bit more relaxed schedule during those months, rather than HAVING to be at the pool every morning at a set time, or HAVING to hit certain times and paces on runs and bike rides.

How has your partnership with Herbalife Nutrition made a difference in your triathlon career?My relationship with Herbalife Nutrition has completely changed my career in triathlon and I will forever be grateful to them. I partnered with Herbalife over five years ago, before I was getting the results that I am able to earn now. From the start they were more than just a company wanting to help me sort out proper nutrition to keep me healthy and fueled to train at my best, they also brought me into the entire Herbalife community. It has been absolutely incredible to have such a huge support network and I truly believe it has helped me progress as an athlete having people that believe in me like that.

Do you have a favorite Herbalife® product that you use during training and races?During my big training and races, I primarily use Herbalife24® CR7 Drive on course - it gives the electrolytes I need, as well as the right amount of carbohydrates to keep me fueled. After every session, I make sure to drink an Herbalife24® Rebuild Strength shake.

You’ve become a role model for the next generation of athletes, especially the girls. What advice would you give to the next potential Heather Jackson who’s just starting out?I would just say to any females starting out in sport to just have fun and give everything and anything a try. You never know what you might like or what you might be good at. Don’t not try something out of fear. We can do anything we want to. Sometimes it just takes that � rst step out the door toward something and that one step can totally change your life.

To learn more about Heather Jackson, visit her sponsorship page at MyHerbalife.com.You can also follow Heather on Instagram (@hjacksonracing),Twitter (@hjacksonracing), or at facebook.com/HeatherJacksonRacing.

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