Six Triathlons On Six Continents in Six Days

In March 2024, Kelsey set the world record as the fastest woman to complete six triathlons on six continents. Beginning at 3:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, March 3, and finishing in Malibu at approximately 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday, March 8, she completed the challenge in just under six days.

The journey consisted of six Olympic-distance triathlons across six continents: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Cascais, Portugal; Tangier, Morocco; Muscat, Oman; Sydney, Australia; and Malibu, California. Each event included a 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bike ride, and 10-kilometer run.

The challenge was originally intended to be seven triathlons on seven continents in seven days. However, shortly before the event, organizers lost the permit for the swim portion of the Australian race due to concerns surrounding avian influenza. Rather than abandon the project, Kelsey adapted and continued, ultimately setting the record across six continents.

The achievement required nearly a year of training, but the physical preparation was only part of the challenge. The record was independently certified by a USA Triathlon race director who reviewed extensive documentation from every event. To verify the accomplishment, Kelsey submitted GPS tracking data, photos and videos from the swim, bike, and run portions of each triathlon, and signatures from two witnesses in every country confirming her participation and completion.

Almost nothing went according to plan.

During the bike course in Tangier, a car clipped Kelsey in a roundabout, tipping her bike sideways. Fortunately, she caught herself before crashing and was able to continue. Later in the same race, she suffered a flat tire severe enough that the bike had to be replaced in order for her to finish the event. In Muscat, while preparing to board her flight to Sydney, she discovered she did not have the visa required to enter Australia and had to secure approval at the last minute in order to continue.

Between races, she slept on airplanes while crossing continents, with only one planned hotel stay in Tangier and one last-minute hotel room in Muscat when she became ill and needed a few hours of rest. The challenge became as much about managing logistics, travel, and uncertainty as it was about athletic performance.

The experience became a lesson in adaptability, resilience, and perseverance. Success came not from perfect conditions, but from the ability to continue moving forward when things went wrong.

Those same values are the foundation of Tortis. We believe that sport has the power to challenge us, connect us, and reveal what we're capable of. Whether you're training for your first race or pursuing a goal that feels impossible, we're here to support the journey.