A chat with Matty White
Matty White took second place at Challenge Cairns and also earned the runner-up spot at 70.3 Busselton and Ironman Western Australia. But it appears that the blond Aussie firefighter is ready to move up one more step.
Slowtwitch: Matty, word has it that the legs aren't too happy right now.
Matty: Yes, the legs are really feeling the effects of a long day at the office. Challenge Cairns was a hot race and with a lot of the run being on hard surface it certainly took a lot out of the larger muscle groups like the quads and the back. It was worth every ounce of soreness though as it means that you gave 100% out there on the course, plus the prize money was not too bad either being Australia’s 2nd richest race ever!
ST: You had a pretty tight battle with the Bezerkel in Cairns, but in the end you got past him. Was it all in the head or all in the legs?
Matty: I was actually surprised to see my good mate Tim on the run as toward the end of the bike he started to drop off and he looked like he was struggling. I actually felt really good for the first hour of the run and was surprised to see him at the 22km mark. We ran together for a bit and then Tim started to struggle so I lifted the pace up a bit as I didn’t want to endure an Ironwar battle with him in the last 10km as I was starting to cramp. We are very similar athletes in terms of swim bike and run and usually it just comes down to who has the 2% edge on the day, but I enjoy racing Tim as we are always happy to see each of us do well.
ST: When you started the bike in Cairns, did you see Clayton Fettell eat it coming out of transition and did you give him a hard time about it?
Matty: Yes of course Herbert. The guys couldn't let that one go, we all got stuck into him at the awards night but full credit to Clayton as he was the first one to admit that he "KOOKED IT"!
ST: You and Tim are both sponsored by Scody, but are you connected outside of that?
Matty: Scody is our main supporter and provide us with really cool gear that stands out. They have supported Tim for a while now and I am in my 3rd year. They are a great Aussie company and their enthusiasm is really refreshing. I lived with Tim in Boulder for 6 months last year and we trained a lot together and traveled to the 70.3 races in the US and most of all had fun along the way. I really enjoyed my time in the US last year as I am from South Australia and the only pro triathlete here which sometimes can be a bit lonely, so to get to Boulder and have Tim plus nearly every other Aussie and international long distance guy there helped me immensely and I put a lot of my recent success down to that time spent their learning from athletes and great guys like Crowie, Dirk Bockel, Joe Gambles etc.
ST: When you hang out with that crew is Crowie the voice of reason?
Matty: Crowie is one of the nicest guys around and some of his one-liners are classics, all the Aussies get on really well. I remember one ride in Boulder last year where Crowie took us the wrong way and the ride ended up about 270km. We were all in the box but having guys like Dirk, Tyler Butterfield and James Hadley made it a laugh for most of the way as we all got stuck into Crowie for the detour. That is the good thing about being Australian, we all laugh at ourselves and are not afraid to have a crack at each other – even if you are a World Champ! We all have fun out training and having guys like Joe Gambles around is great for the long rides as he can talk non stop for 8 hours which makes the ride go quicker!
ST: Were you surprised how far up the road Macca was in Cairns?
Matty: Not really Herbert, I know Macca has been working on his speed recently for the short distance racing so I was content to let him go and run my own race, I was hovering around 4-5 minutes back on the bike which gave me a good chance if I could have a good run, I knew Graham O’Grady and Fettell were working hard on the bike and it was their first Ironman so I was pretty confident my experience would come through and I would run into a podium spot as the course was hot and very open with no shade. Macca had a good run which distanced himself from us at the end, but with only 3 guys running under 3 hours it showed that the course was tough so I am happy with how my race went. Macca is the benchmark of the sport at the moment so to finish 2nd is not too bad!
ST: Last year this time you were racing 70.3 Mooseman in North America. What made you decide to stay longer in Australia this year and race Challenge Cairns instead?
Matty: The 70.3 circuit is tough, I raced a lot and had some great results but a lot of the races are in the middle of nowhere and a lot of the time spent traveled can really wear you down, with the crappy hotels, bad food, hire cars etc etc! I am also a full time firefighter back home in Australia so to obtain time off work is quite hard. Plus I spent 6 months away from my wife, which is also difficult as she is an integral part of my support group, and at the end of the day I love Australia. I decided to race Cairns as I have never competed in a Challenge race before, and I was impressed with the organization and professionalism of the whole event. Felix and the Challenge family run a different sort of event embracing the whole family concept and having fun which I like, as this sport takes up so much time for the average age grouper its great to see organizers take note of that aspect.
ST: So does that mean Cairns is on the schedule for next year?
Matty: It certainly is, I love Cairns at this time of year, it is the type of place you can bring your family and have a great holiday at the same time. I feel this event will be even bigger next year I can’t wait.
ST: What is next?
Matty: I am trying to get my golf game back on track actually. I have let it slip recently due to the Ironman training and all the travel! But as far as triathlon goes I head to Boulder late July for 10 weeks and if I have enough points to do Kona I will, if not I will target challenge Barcelona and maybe a few 70.3 US races in August.
ST: How good are you in golf when you are on it and is this some kind of challenge for other Pro triathletes?
Matty: My golf game is rusty at the moment but there are glimpses of greatness, but I certainly won't be hanging up the pro triathlon game anytime soon in favor of the PGA! I used to play a lot when I was younger but this sport is so demanding its really hard to commit the time.
ST: Are you getting good sponsorship love these days?
Matty: My management group at DTR sports management has really helped me with some great support over the last 3 years. I believe strongly in brand loyalty and becoming part of the brand it self as that is where the real benefits are for the company as people associate you with that particular brand. Plus I really enjoy being part of the whole sponsorship process and building relationships, a lot of my sponsors are Australian based so I get to see them a lot at races over here which is pretty cool and I get to have an input into the design processes and other things which I really enjoy. Sponsors are Scody, Ryders, compressport, Xterra, Saucony, Wattbike, Altitude Technology Systems and Merida Bikes.
ST: Is there anything else we should know?
Matty: I am a Firefighter who has a massive phobia of cats! So whenever there is a cat rescue I am the one cowering in the back of the fire truck like a little girl. I really enjoy hanging out with my mates and playing golf when I am not training and I am a big Lady Gaga fan. I was lucky enough to see two concerts last year while in the US and even got my mate Timmy hooked on her too. Most of all I enjoy going out for a nice dinner with my wife and having a few red wines with some good company!
Matt White's site is mattywhite.com.au
