The story behind TriMob, the triathlon club boosting First Nations participation

When Nat Heath started running triathlons in 2011, he noticed a significant lack of First Nations representation in the sport, so he created his own club to change that.

TriMob founder Nat Heath started a First Nations charity and national club to lift participation in triathlon.

When Nat Heath started running triathlons in 2011, he noticed a significant lack of First Nations representation in the sport, so he created his own club to change that.

“From 2011 to 2019, I probably came across three First Nations people … participating in the sport,” Mr Heath said.

“It’s just very much a very white sport and (there’s) not much diversity in general.”
Mr Heath started First Nations charity and national triathlon club TriMob in 2020, aiming to provide better opportunity for First Nations participation in the sport.

“What we’re about is empowering First Nations people around their health and well-being by using the sport of triathlon or swim, bike, run,” he said.

“When we look at what is Indigenous health and well-being, it’s more than just a physical element.

“There’s the cultural connection, social connection, connection to country, and the sport actually allows all that, and that’s the big thing about what we do as an organisation.”

The IronMob athletes at the Ironman Cairns in June – Kyal Atkinson, Anthony Rigby-Smith, Thomas Kelly, Olive Snell, Crystal Stephens, Kirsty Nichols and Malachi Murljacic.

Soon after its inception, TriMob began a program called IronMob – a 14-month mentoring program for First Nations athletes to work towards completing an Ironman.

“We use a scaffolded approach where we slowly build up their capability and capacity, not just physically, but also mentally to take on an Ironman,” Mr Heath said.

“You’re more inclined and more interested in doing the sport when you’ve got mob around you, and more mob doing it.

“And that’s what’s really been impactful about the Ironmob program – it’s a very individual sport – but we’ve made it like a team sport.”

Since starting the program in 2023, TriMob has already doubled the number of First Nations Ironman competitors.

“Prior to TriMob, we only knew of 13 First Nations people to ever do an Ironman – there could be more, but we just don’t know because it’s never been in our records,” Mr Heath said.

“We’ve now had 29 in less than two years.”

Their most recent program culminated at the Cairns Ironman in June, with all seven IronMob athletes successfully completing the event.

The TriMob team moments before the Cairns Ironman begun.

As for what’s next for TriMob, Mr Heath said they were beginning to deliver school-based programs around Australia to introduce First Nations kids to the sport and provide better opportunities for them to get involved.

“Really, the goal is that we’ll have people based around Australia delivering our programs and not just as a one-stop, but regularly in communities,” Mr Heath said.

“We had a fundraising event (recently) where we talked about what we’re about, and we had kids the next day sign up and do the IronKids because … for the first time they could see themselves in the sport.

“It’s like that old sort of saying – you can’t be what you can’t see.

“What we really want to do is create a culture where the norm for our people is to be healthy and have strong wellbeing, and using the sport of swim, bike, run to create that … but having that community to do it with. And at the moment, that’s not the norm.”

To become a member of TriMob, visit trimob.org.

Originally published as The story behind TriMob, the triathlon club boosting First Nations participation