+ From Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

NATIA

VAN HEERDEN

Professional triathlete

YEAR OF BIRTH

TRIATHLETE SINCE

FROM

Being an athlete is a lifestyle I chose as a very young girl. It gives purpose to my life, setting goals for myself and working towards achieving them is the best feeling in the world.

@natiavanheerden

+ Bio

Determined, focussed, motivated

Natia Gous (van Heerden), born August 14 1991, is a South African endurance triathlete, amateur XTERRA world champion in 2014 and age group IRONMAN world champion in 2019. Natia is racing as a professional athlete from January 2020.

Natia’s love for sport started back in 1996, at age 5, as a young gymnast and won multiple national titles and earned her Springbok Colours before retiring from the sport in 2007.

She immediately took on triathlon, coming from a family where ironman racing is the norm and raced sprint, olympic and a half ironman in her first year. She has since completed 15 half ironman events, and 6 full IRONMAN races where she podiumed 5 out of the 6 races.

In 2019 Natia was 1 of 8 athletes globally chosen to be part of the Specialized Zwift Academy Tri team who helped her qualify and prepare for the IRONMAN World Championships.

After a very surprising age group win and 3rd overall performance at the 2019 IRONMAN World Championships held in Kailua-Kona, Natia had applied for her PRO license

In 2021, she won her first IRONMAN 70.3 in South Africa and placed 4th at IRONMAN African Championships, missing a Kona slot by one spot.

In 2022 she’ll build towards IRONMAN 70.3 world champs in St. George and hopefully Kona as well.

Best results so far

IRONMAN Age Group World Champion

Oct 11, 2019

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. United States.

Champion

IRONMAN 70.3

Sep 5, 2021

Buffalo City, East London. South Africa.

Champion

IRONMAN African Championship

Nov 21, 2021

Nelson Mandela Bay, Port Elizabeth. South Africa.

4th place