+ 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.