Retired ironman champion Matt Poole puts dark time behind him to revive Iron series career

Ironman champion Matt Poole has opened up on being “lost” when his career ended - and the one thing luring him out of retirement. Read what’s behind his return

Champion ironman Matt Poole is coming out of retirement two years after he hung up the togs – citing memorable moments with his young daughter as the motivation.

The doting dad to Posy, his daughter with ex-girlfriend and fitness entrepreneur Tammy Hembrow, revealed he has been training for a “full 2024 comeback” after rumours have swirled about a return.

Poole, the 2017 Ironman champion, confirmed he will line up to try and qualify for the Shaw and Partners Iron series during the first trial round in a fortnight at Tugun.

“I’m a sicko for punishment. I must be because I retired from being a professional athlete, 15 years of doing surf, Iron Man. I couldn’t stay away from that health and fitness lifestyle. I found myself endurance running and doing marathons.”

When announcing his retirement two years ago, the now 36 year old noted 15 years was a long time to be getting up before 5am for training and cited pending fatherhood ahead of Posy’s birth.

Now she’s become his motivation to return, saying watching female iron athlete Brielle Cooper run with Posy through the start line alongside Gold Coast-based Matt Bevilacqua during the Iron series last year planted the seeds of his decision.

“When I retired, truthfully, I thought there is no way I will ever be making a comeback. I’d had a very long and successful career, and I was happy to hang up the togs and, and move into that next chapter.

Matt Poole is coming out of retirement to try and qualify again for the Iron Series. Picture: Richard Gosling

“It wasn’t until last year, when we went down to watch Brielle competing and Bevvy in the Iron Man and Woman Series. Brielle ran out through that start line at the opening rounds with Posy, carrying her, had all the fans and people there watching. I thought that’s a moment I didn’t get to do in my career because when I retired, Posy wasn’t born yet.

“I retired with her actually not having known anything about who I was or anything about the athlete chapter of my life. I thought, ‘oh wow, I wish I had the opportunity for Posy to see me race’. I wish, when I get much older, there were photos of me racing with Posy there.

“We’ve seen guys do that. We’ve seen Shannon Eckstein have those moments. We’ve seen Ali Day do it. I don’t have that so that was a bit of a tough pill to swallow for me.

“It made me upset because I feel like it is such a big part of my identity,” he said.

Matt Poole says the driving force behind his decision to make a “full comeback” to the Iron Series is so his his daughter Posy can see him compete. Picture: Richard Gosling

Poole added returning to coach Nippers was also an important part of deciding to come out of retirement.

“I started back here coaching at Tallebudgera Surf Club. Found myself back on the board, doing some swimming and training with them. One thing led to another and we’ve evolved into a full 2024 comeback.

“When I got back into coaching the Tally Nippers was when I really put the wheels in motion.”

Poole said he hoped to qualify for the Iron series but doesn’t “know what to expect”.

“This is a whole new challenge. These kids now are so fit, they’re so fast. The level of racing has come up a couple of levels.

“I don’t know how I’m going to go. I know it is going to be a very hot field. I’m not in any way putting a target on myself to get back into the series and expect to be getting on podiums.

“I’m literally setting the goal of just making the series. If I do that I’m going to get my fairytale moment with Posy. The bucket list goal in all honesty for me is just to make that series and get that moment.”

Matt Poole will line up at the Iron Series trial in Tugun on November 16: “I’m literally setting the goal of just making the series. If I do that I’m going to get my fairytale moment with Posy.” Picture: Richard Gosling

From lost love, job and pet dog - to a ‘really good space’

It was all falling apart for retired ironman Matt Poole.

In the lead up to and just after his retirement from the gruelling surf sport in 2022, Poole faced a triple whammy of despair all within months.

His high-profile relationship with fitness influencer Tammy Hembrow abruptly ended, his post-retirement job collapsed and then his pet dog died. At the same time he was adjusting to life without ironman training and becoming a new dad to daughter Posy.

The 36-year-old – who has confirmed he will aim for a comeback and return to the Iron series in a few weeks – admits for a while he “was lost”: “There was a combination of a few really big things that happened in the space of probably two months. Being an athlete and being in the sport for so long, if you don’t have motivation and passion, and you’re not in a good mental head space, it is impossible to train and get results.

Matt Poole during the 2022 Ironman Series at Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club as then fiance Tammy Hembrow watched on. Photo: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“Because I was having so much external stress and bad things happening outside of sport and training and racing, everything was weighing me down and nothing was being done well.

“I had a relationship breakdown, I retired, I had my dog of 14 years pass away the same night that Posy was born. I had a really good job and the business closed down.

“People talk about one big stress event a year. I feel like I had four or five in the space of one or two months. It was just, like, a lot.

“There was a period I was really lost and rebuilding.”

Despite his candid assessment of that tumultuous time personally, he says he’s forged his way back now in a new relationship, training Nippers and having been quietly training for a full-blown comeback.

“I’ve got myself back into really good space. I wouldn’t have been able to to do what I’m doing 18 months ago. Fortunately through all the learning and experience, I’m now in a much better position in all aspects of my life.”

Poole said he has definitely learned a lot from that time: “At the time you think it’s the worst thing in the world and you are never going to get out of that.

“Looking back it shapes who you are. There’s probably traits to my personality that weren’t that great years ago. Through those experiences you learn to be more patient, selfless, and compassionate, especially since having a daughter.

Matt Poole: I’ve got myself back into really good space. I wouldn’t have been able to to do what I’m doing 18 months ago.” Picture: Richard Gosling

“Those qualities come through more (that) I didn’t have a great deal of when I was an athlete because part of being an athlete is having that mentality of just looking out for yourself and who you are.

“When it was just me that’s fine but through change and transition I feel like it’s made me a better person.”

On his personal life he credits “new partner Annelyse” for being “amazing” with Posy, who he is co-parenting with Ms Hembrow – and adds “co-parenting is going well”.

He’s also got a warning for his competitors as he prepares to re-enter the Iron series fray which starts with a trial qualifying round in Tugun across November 16 and 17.

“I’m feeling fit and healthy. I would say the most dangerous thing that should make the other athletes nervous is I’m happy again. I’m in a better headspace than I was for the last three or four years of my career. A lot of athletes didn’t know what was happening or what I was going through.

“I didn’t share that. Truthfully, I was not doing myself any justice or favours because I wasn’t trying hard and I wasn’t trying to improve and do well.

“The last three years in my career I was just putting on a brave face in front of the cameras so to speak.

“When you’re happy that is when you can do your most incredible performances. We’ll see where that gets me or how that helps.”

He adds a big part of the new light in his life is being head coach of the Nippers at Tallebudgera Surf Club where he also does swim coaching, working alongside former World Iron Woman champion Karlee Nurthen.

Coolangatta Gold multiple winner Courtney Hancock is also part of the coaching team.

“I might be a little biased but as far as coaches go on the Coast, I think Tallebudgera has got the best across seniors and Nippers.

“We’ve got a great club and we’re really starting to build momentum. When I turn up to coach Nippers, they’re enthusiastic, passionate, and love it. I’m really enjoying that. As well as trying to race for Posy, I also want to race so that the Talle Nippers can see I’m actually not just some old guy coaching them on the beach telling them what to do. I actually used to be an athlete myself.”

Originally published as Retired ironman champion Matt Poole puts dark time behind him to revive Iron series career