The Transition: Beth Potter goes from Olympic runner to triathlete

The Scottish-born Potter wasn’t starting from nowhere. From an early age, she was a gifted athlete, starting with competitive swimming and then taking up track and field as a teen. Her running career culminated with a trip to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, where Potter represented Great Britain.
 
It was after those Olympics that Potter announced she would transition to triathlon. At the time the only cycling she had ever done was on a fixed gear commuter bike in London, where she worked full-time as a physics teacher. Potter had the endurance base, but building the strength and skills to race her bike at an elite level took time.
 
“I’m definitely playing catch-up on the bike,” says the 29-year-old, who has partnered with CADEX this year on equipment including 42 Disc WheelSystems and Race tires. “But having equipment and wheels that save me watts and allow me to get to the run in the best shape possible is only a good thing.”
 
Potter’s big breakthrough in triathlon came in 2019, when she won the European championship in The Netherlands. In that race she went through T2 in a large lead group, and anytime Potter enters the run in that position she’s hard to beat.
 
Now Potter is focused on World Cups and other international triathlons. Her confidence is high, but she’s no longer an outsider looking to learn the ins and outs of a new sport. Having seen her run away with race wins, the competition is keenly aware of what she can do.    
 
“Now I’m a massive target,” Potter says. “Who’s going to want to come off the bike with me?”