Team D3 athletes embrace our principles of Desire, Determination, and Discipline and are great ambassadors for our community and triathlon. They also share in the camaraderie and benefits of a diverse, passionate group of athletes. Team D3 athletes range in ability from beginner to elite, and they train in home towns that span between Coquimbo, Chile – New York City – Boulder, Colorado – Napa Valley, California – Costa Rica – Dubai – and so many places in between!
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- Chiru Gunawardena Boulder, CO, USA |
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Favorite race distance
So far I've always wished for something longer -
Favorite post-race recovery
Everything tastes amazing after a race, so I'm not too picky -
Favorite piece of training equipment
Treadmill; swim paddles -
Bucket list race
Kona; Boston Marathon -
Describe a little bit about yourself and your interest in triathlon
Running is definitely my strongest of the 3 sports. I love love love to run, feel very comfortable and strong on the run, and also feel I still have a lot of room to grow as a runner. I also love cycling and don't think I've tapped much of my potential here. This summer will be my first with a tri-bike and aerobars. I love to swim, though it is by far my weakest of the 3. I get exhausted much more quickly than on the run or bike and don't feel nearly the same sense of efficiency and strength I do on the run.
Outside of triathlon, I'm working towards applying to medical school. I've lived in Boulder for a year now and during this training cycle will be working 4 days/week, 10 hours/day as a medical assistant at a clinic for the homeless in Denver. I'll also be taking a class at CU. Medicine is the other thing in my life I'm on fire for as much as I am for endurance sport.
Triathlon somehow popped into my head at a time about a year and a half ago when I was feeling pretty lost and down on myself. I fell in love with the long training sessions, and showing up day after day, and I found that I loved competing in a single race that combined three such different activities. Training for my first sprint in May 2023 really brought me back to myself and I've been hooked since. I love getting more out of myself than I knew I had in me, and this sport continues to give that to me.
