Hillie Van't Klooster has been named Female Age Group Athlete of the Year by the Alberta Triathlon Association.
The Olds resident took the honour for women 41 and over.
Van't Klooster was happy with the season she's had and surmises she received the distinction thanks to her performance in August at the Challenge Penticton Duathlon, a national championship.
In Penticton, the 48-year-old placed second among all women in the race.
"It was awesome. I was really surprised actually," said Van't Klooster about the recognition.
She adds that her time of 2h 14m 39s came within a pack of other competitors.
"I believe the top five was all within one minute of each other so it was really exciting. That was the biggest race I ever did," she said.
Van't Klooster will be competing in Penticton again next year, where she's qualified for worlds.
In July, she also completed a Half Iron Man in Stony Plain – a 1.9-km swim, 90-km bike ride and 21-km run. She finished second in that race as well, with a time of 5h 8m 16.3s.
Next year, she's doing the full distance: a 3-km swim, 120-km bike ride and 30-kim run.
This was her sixth year as a triathlete, third with coach Sharon Styles, of Carstairs.
When speaking, Klooster casually mentions that she recently ran 35 km for training – that's only a few clicks short of a full marathon. But despite how much she's training, Van't Klooster can't remember the last time she's ever been hurt.
She credits that to ensuring her shoes are in good shape, replacing them every 600-700 km. She's halfway through her second pair of ASICS this year.
"I make sure my shoes are (kept) very well to prevent any injuries," she said.
