ACHIEVEMENTS:
2021 U19 Australian National Ironman Champion
2020/21 Nutri-Grain Ironman Series – 3rd Place
Under the banner of 'Team Unstoppable', Nutri-Grain has assembled a trio of athletes who embody Kiwi values of tenacity and determination, while representing us on the world stage.
Last year, at an age most teens are mostly concerned with partying, 17-year-old Taranaki-born Joe Collins was literally taking the plunge by moving to Australia to compete in Surf IronMan.
"I had to rush my last year of schooling to shift over here because I wanted to push towards my goals sooner rather than later,'' he told Newshub.
"Moving away from my family and friends and missing out on the good times I see them having was tough. But then I know it's all worth it when I go out and get a win and once the achievements start rolling through."
And it didn't take long for those results to flow. In his debut season in the Nutri-Grain IronMan Series, Collins stormed to a podium finish, taking on more experienced athletes to place third overall and surprising even himself.
"Definitely was not aiming for the top," he laughed.
"I was pretty over the moon to even make the series and then went into it, had a good first race and figured I couldn't waste the chance and had to try and hold on. Definitely wasn't a part of the plan to get top three but definitely pretty glad I was there."
Not content to rest on his laurels, Collins capped off 2021 by claiming the Under 19 Australian IronMan title, cementing his place as a champion and contender in global competition.
The athlete credits a cadre of Kiwis for helping to push him onto the podium, including coach Kev Morrison and team mate Cory Taylor. They also remind him of his roots, with Collins quick to reassure he wasn't becoming an Aussie anytime soon.
“I'm definitely still saving my heritage and keeping myself as an outsider to the Aussies," he chuckled. And while you could forgive him for getting a big head, the teen IronMan is busy keeping that head down instead of patting himself on the back.
It gives me a bit more confidence going into the season we're going into now but I'm trying to keep my ego in check because I know that while I had a really good year, the work's not done."
Maintaining focus in a global pandemic isn't easy for anyone, let alone elite athletes, and Collins admits he's felt the COVID strain when it comes to training.
"So a lot of the races for the past two years were being put on hold or it's questionable whether it goes ahead. You never know if we're going to be allowed to be out and training. So it's just the uncertainty of not knowing when the next race is that has made it pretty tough."
And while he's had more than his share of success for a Kiwi yet to crack 20 years-old, Collins says he's also had to pick himself up from failure, like coming up short at the under 19 National IronMan in New Zealand before his move across the Tasman.
"I was really excited and really aiming for the top. I thought I was up at that level and then it didn't quite go the way I wanted and that was pretty devastating to me. I had to push through that."
But he didn't let the experience go to waste.
“It goes back to trying to learn from your failures and learning why I wasn't the top athlete of that race. Looking forward and using that knowledge and realizing what I needed to do was work more on certain parts of my game."
And it's not just his athletic game our expat champion is working on. In between hitting the surf as part of a grueling three session per-day training regime, he hits the books while studying for a Bachelor of Commerce at Bond University.
For Kiwis inspired by his story and who want to follow his footsteps, Collins advises being clear-eyed about the challenge and then committing yourself to it completely.
"You have to just take the plunge. Not caring what other people think and putting your whole mindset onto it if you want to do well. You have to focus all your energy into it to succeed."