Local athlete wins world championship title in ‘premier off-road triathlon’ | News

A woman from Cordova is a world champion after winning her age group in an international competition at the XTERRA World Championship late October in Hawaii.

Lucia Colbert participated in the 55-59 age division in what the XTERRA website describes as the world’s premier off-road triathlon.

The trail run is best described as a tropical roller-coaster ride through pineapple fields and forests.

Colbert was an XTERRA veteran who never tasted the big time until this year.

Despite starting her off-road triathlon career in the 90’s and racking up six XTERRA Southeast Regional Championships through the years, Colbert had never traveled to compete in the U.S. or World Championship races.

“I was very fortunate. I had a lot go wrong yet was still able to hang on for the win. I wasn't sure I was in the lead because my swim was really off but I just kept going hard. Then, a male competitor lost control of his bike and knocked me off mine. I was cut up pretty bad but got up and kept going,” said Colbert in a press release.

As soon as she crossed the finish line she was encouraged to get medical care, she was unaware how bad her cuts were.

“The volunteer escorted me over, and they immediately took care of my wounds and the ER doc stitched me up and sent me on my way. Turns out he went to medical school in my hometown – what a small world,” she said

Colbert visited Maui 25 years ago on her honeymoon with her husband Bert.

“We had a wonderful second honeymoon. I got to race XTERRA Worlds, and Bert volunteered in the transition area,” said Colbert.  

“Maui has special energy.  As one of my training partners said, ‘The whales don't come down every February from Alaska for nothing.’”

Lucia Colbert is a structural integration practitioner.

In 2000 she  was named to the Rhodes College Athletic Hall of Fame and named Female "Athlete of the Millennium" by the Commercial Appeal.