Friends and supporters of local athlete Steve Wright are celebrating his great performance at last month’s duathlon event “Down Under.”

The Australia event follows last year’s World Duathlon Championship in Ibiza where Wright represented Canada and finished a commendable 15th out of 45 in his age group despite a high level of competition.

“I had no real expectations for how I would fare,” Wright shared. “With this being my first attempt at the world level, I was very happy with my performance.”

Following his 2023 international debut, Wright set his sights on the Spring Duathlon held this year on August 16 in Townsville, Australia.

The event featured a challenging 5 km run, a 20 km bike sprint, and a final 2.5 km run. This marked Wright’s first competition of the year, as injuries hindered his participation in earlier events.

Wright acknowledged the hurdles he faced leading up to the Townsville event. “While I trained harder this year, I was plagued by injuries,” he said.

The late August timing of this year’s event provided him with more opportunities for warm-weather training compared to last year’s April competition.

“I find more excuses for not training in the cold weather,” Wright admitted.

With a well-taped knee and support from local chiropractor Andrew Mercer, along with ongoing advice from his son Brian, a chiropractor based in Toronto, Wright entered the Townsville race with cautious optimism.

His preparation paid off. Wright finished fifth in his age group of 25 competitors, a result that thrilled and surprised him.

“I trained harder for this year’s event than last year’s, considering the time and expense involved in the Australia trip,” Wright explained.

“I’m thrilled with the outcome and grateful for the support that helped me to achieve it.”

With no events scheduled for the rest of the year, Wright is looking ahead to June 2025 and the World Championship in Spain.

He plans to do plenty of running and riding this Fall and will train throughout the winter months, cycling indoors and running outdoors when the weather permits him to do so.

When he’s not training, Wright continues to provide distillery consulting, teaching and product development services through his company Spiritech Solutions.

His Kavi Reserve coffee blended whisky continues to sell well, especially in the local market where the brand recognition is strongest.

According to Wright, market conditions for small distillers and small brand owners in Canada are more challenging than ever before, and local support is key to keeping brands on the shelf.

He has been fortunate to have great support for Kavi in Kingsville and all of Essex county, where it is featured on many local restaurant menus. In fact, Kingsville’s Beach House Grill has been offering a Kavi Iced Coffee cocktail on their Summer menu.

Between his training, his competing and his work with Spiritech, Wright is focused on the things that mean the most to him.

“I have recently reduced my work hours by taking on only projects that are fulfilling and enjoyable, as a means for giving me more free time to do other things that really matter to me at this stage in my life. I continue to adjust to find the right balance.”