Chasing the Burn
This show features in-depth interviews with figures in triathlon and the greater endurance world. Host Chelsea Burns, along with occasional co-hosts, digs into the minds of successful athletes and more.
Episodes
Matthew Marquardt
One of the best Ironman triathletes in the world spends his time outside of triathlon training to become a surgeon. Matthew Marquardt caught the attention of Chasing the Burn this spring when he traveled from Ohio to South Africa and back... twice! within a few weeks to participate in the iconic Cape Epic mountain bike stage race and eventually become the champion of Ironman South Africa. He gener
Lisa Norden
Breaking a few months of Chasing the Burn silence for a conversation with Swedish triathlon legend Lisa Norden. Between being 8 months pregnant with her first child and working as sport director for Sweden's National Triathlon Federation the silver medalist from London found a moment to share some stories in this episode. We discuss pregnancy, IVF and timing of it all as an athlete, as well a
Cassandre Beaugrand
She became Olympic Champion in her home nation of France on the roaring streets of Paris in 2024 and then World Champion later that year. Eighteen months and a few hard days later, Cassandre Beaugrand joins Chasing the Burn for a reflective and transparent conversation on the biggest day in her career and the year that followed. We discuss her approach to pressure, the absence of an instruction ma
Sam Renouf on PTO/World Triathlon Partnership
A Friday evening "tri-intervew" between the CEO of the PTO (Professional Triathletes Organization) Sam Renouf + Olympic Champ Flora Duffy + Triathlon Enthusiast Chelsea Burns. During this conversation we attempt to unpack the World Triathlon x PTO T100 collaboration that will arrive in 2027 and most importantly consider the impact of this change on triathlon in the Olympics.
End of Year + T100 Impressions with Flora
The final podcast of 2025 features a return appearance from Chasing the Burn's favorite co-host, Flora Duffy. Dialing in from different hemispheres, our conversation includes thoughts from the T100's final in Qatar, their changes coming in 2026 and of course the merger with the soon-to-be T50.
Kat Matthews
The winner of the Ironman Pro Series in 2025 joins Chasing the Burn remotely from a dark December offseason evening in England. Listen to an excellent chat with the woman who has mastered the art of second place finishes at World Championship events and hear her explore what might be the reason for this. Beyond that we discuss psychology, heat illness, military lessons, calf raises and more.
Marbella & more with Flora
Trying something new! After 20 months of searching I found a co-host to try out the concept of a casual conversation on recent racing and other happenings in the sport. Plenty more interviews to come but for this episode, enjoy listening to Flora Duffy & I discuss our reactions to 70.3 Worlds in Marbella plus a few other topics.
Emma Lombardi
After she stormed into Olympic distance racing by winning the under 23 World Champs in 2021 Emma quickly emerged as a medal contender for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Preparing for a home Olympic Games at just 22 with pressure and noise that most can't even begin to comprehend, the Frenchwoman ended up with four 4th place finishes across the four races in Paris (two test event in 2023 and two Ol
John Reed
The 23 year old American's steady rise in the elite ranks continued in 2025 with his first WTCS podium in Weihai. We chat in Wollongong ahead of the grand final on his calm confidence and coming from a big family into a sport where he gets to be his own boss. Follow this young man as he looks toward a home Olympics in less than 3 years.Use code BURN for 15% off prescriptions at telyrx.com
Flora Duffy
We set out to find out "where is Flora?" and the conversation that ensued covers an explanation of her frustrating 2025 and the mental toll of another long injury. The Olympic Champ from Tokyo knows huge highs and devastating lows in triathlon all too well and she opens up in reflecting on the past year, Olympics and more. Wait till the end for her insights on the excitement in women&apo
Jolien Vermeylen
After becoming European Champ and securing 4th in Hamburg the Belgian capped off her best season to date with a top 10 finish in Wollongong and the overall standings. Hear from this woman with a vibrant personality who has made huge improvements in this sport since picking up the Brownlee book on a family vacation.Use code BURN for 15% off prescriptions at telyrx.com
Csongor Lehmann
Growing up in Tiszy meant triathlon was non-negotiable for Csongor who hopes to someday join the elite club of men who have won a Junior, U23 and Elite World Title (he has the first 2 already!). Listen to our chat ahead of the final in Wollongong where he ultimately finished 10th in the race and 6th in the overall standings and keep your eye on this man in the build toward LA2028.Use code BURN for
Jeanne Lehair
Heading into the WTCS final, Jeanne sat in position to fight for an overall podium. A tough day in Wollongong meant finishing 6th in the series rankings but it was a season to remember for the Luxembourg athlete who took the tape in Yokohama in her first World Series victory and clinched victory in the overall Supertri series. Listen to our chat recorded a few days ahead of the race in Wollongong.
Márton & Márta Kropkó
Conversations with the brother-sister duo from Hungary who ended up finishing 2nd and 3rd in the Under 23 races in Wollongong. We chatted at their accommodation on the evening before the World Championship race... get to know these rising stars that come from a nation where triathlon success is often a family affair. Use code BURN for 15% off prescriptions at telyrx.com
Age Group Takeover
Joanne Gray and Nicki Gibson represent Australia in Age Group races in Wollongong this weekend. Listen to Joanne talk about what it means to have a World Champs at home and hear Nicki (Aus Tri board member) explain the importance of this event for the federation and country as a whole.
Wollongong Kick-off with Belinda Granger
The stars have aligned and the podcast made the 15 hour flight down under. For the first time since 2018 Australia hosts a World Triathlon World Champs and the weekend is shaping up to be an epic few days of racing. Belinda joins this episode to help me debrief the scene in Wollongong. We talk about what to expect & look for ahead of new World Champions being crowned this weekend.
Gwen Jorgensen
One of the winningest females in World Triathlon history and the Olympic Champion from Rio in 2016 joins for an engaging chat from her home in Colorado. Nine years on from earning that gold medal Gwen has no immediate plans of retirement despite missing Olympic teams (for running and triathlon, respectively) in both Tokyo and Paris. The question at the front of my mind when I reached out for this
Matthew Hauser
Matthew Hauser sits atop the World Triathlon Series rankings after 2 victories and 2 runner-up performances in 2025. He admits he is media trained but the well-spoken Aussie shares some wise words in this conversation. We touch on how he bridged being a talented junior where results came "easy" to his eventual elite level success including two Olympic campaigns complete with disappointme
Solveig Lovseth
Solveig joins for a chat one year to the day from the individual races at the Paris Olympic Games. Since that day last July, Solveig seems to have eloquently found her stride in Ironman distance racing. She speaks on the evolution of her career with personal reflections on Olympics and going long. Look out for this woman in Kona, she seems to just be getting started.Use code BURN for 15% off presc
Georgia Taylor-Brown
Hear from the only female to own an Olympic triathlon medal in every color in this candid conversation. Georgia Taylor-Brown shares more than a few stories from Tokyo to Paris (& beyond) and demonstrates just how complex the journey behind the result can be. Use code BURN for 15% off prescriptions at telyrx.com
Western States Wrapped
Special guest joins to debrief the legendary Western States Endurance Run one week after the 100.2 mile traverse of California's Sierras. After several years in person at the event, we draw on our experiences and observations to comment on some notable elements. As the "Kona" of ultra running, it only seemed appropriate to juxtapose Western States with the Ironman World Champs.
Helen Jenkins
Trailblazer of British women triathlon greatness, three time Olympian, two time World Champion and voice of World Triathlon in the modern era! Helen joins as the latest humble guest on this episode. In the conversation she delivers some tales, lessons and wisdom as we chat about lining up injured as an Olympic favorite at a home Games in London, retirement timing, her role in commentary and more.
Kevin McDowell
Multi-time co-host on Chasing the Burn joins for his own interview! Fresh off a 4th place finish at the 70.3 North American Champs in St George, Kevin sits down for a conversation on what that race meant to him after nearly 4 years of struggles. He is no stranger to the struggle- Kevin talks us through what getting a cancer diagnosis as a 17 year old was like. We chat on the under-discussed challe
Kate Waugh
Kate Waugh won T100 Singapore in her first ever outing at the distance just over a week ago. While the young star has made an early mark on the series, we hear in this conversation just what that win meant for her. Kate shares a sobering account of just how challenging her build and experience in Paris was last summer and how she has dealt with the tough lessons to come from the Olympics. Armed wi
Jamie Riddle
Jamie Riddle was a kid from South Africa with big dreams that landed two of them in the past 8 months. He earned a spot at the Olympics in Paris, rode off the front during the bike, took a reset and pivot during the offseason and charged ahead to Ironman South Africa in March. Behind his results is a story very well told. Jamie brings in triathlon fans and creates new ones through his media. Hear
Eli Hemming
Four long years ago Eli was fighting till the final hour for a spot on the USA team for the Tokyo Olympics in triathlon. The self proclaimed cowboy has overhauled his athletic identity since then and is now one of the best 50k runners in the world. Listen to this conversation with Eli as we discuss running, triathlon, cattle and finding the life that makes you happy. Use code BURN for 15% off pres
Paris People #3 - Maya Kingma
Final episode of Paris People and Maya Kingma joins the show! Maya shares how health in 2024 made for a less than ideal prep for the Games but how her specific race plan and a focus on tactics shaped outcome for the Dutch athlete in Paris. Maya also goes into what she has been up to in early 2025 in the cycling world and her plans for the year and beyond. Use code BURN for 15% off prescriptions at
Paris People #2 - Beth Potter
The second episode of the series that dives into the experiences of Paris Olympians features Beth Potter. After entering the Olympic year as World Champion and Test Event Champion, Beth ultimately departed Paris last summer with two bronze medals. She graciously allows the "unboxing" of some painful days and weeks in 2024 on this podcast and shares some lessons she'll take to 2028.
Paris People #1 - Taylor Knibb
Before she became a 2x World Champion in 2024, Taylor went to Paris (in 2 sports!). This series will feature conversations with three different athletes that competed in the Olympic Triathlon this past summer. Episode #1 might be the most candid interview Chasing the Burn has done yet... Taylor opens up in a raw and honest way, letting us in on what likely were a few of the most emotionally and ph
Eric Lagerstrom
The self described "professional endurance athlete" has added another layer to his identity in 2025. Eric was the runner-up at the Black Canyon 50k race a few weeks ago in just his second ever ultra running race. Appearing to have a knack for the sport, he hopes to add more racing and a possible trip to test himself at one of the UTMB events this summer. Perhaps you've heard of TTL
Riley Brady
Riley sits down with Chelsea in Boulder just a few days after their commanding win at the Black Canyon 100k. The rare ultra running conversation on Chasing the Burn is well worth the listen. Riley describes how fitting pieces into the wildly complex puzzle of racing 100 milers has been a many year process and in 2025 finally has them believing that a win at Western States is possible. We chat puki
Coaching Series #5 | Kristin Armstrong
Kristin Armstrong is a legend of women's cycling in the USA. She is undoubtedly the greatest ever in the Time Trial, having earned Olympic Gold in Beijing, London and Rio before a (final) retirement launched her coaching career. Kristin was a neutral coach in Paris for USA Cycling and you'll quickly hear why her wisdom and experience holds such value. This conversation is filled with emo
Coaching Series #4 | Non Stanford
You may know her best as the 24 year old world champion from 2013 or the sprinting Brit that narrowly missed a medal in Rio back in 2016 but Non Stanford has control of the stopwatch and now is assistant coach in command at the Leeds Triathlon Centre. The beautifully articulate Welsh-woman joins the coaching series and gives us some insight on her retirement, transition to coach and what life as B
Coach Series #3 | Julie Dibens
This coaching legend sits down in Boulder for a conversation on her racing career, retirement and transition to coaching. Julie has helped more athletes than we can name to Ironman podiums around the world. She shares some insight as a female coach in a sport largely dominated by male coaches as well as how working as one piece on one very successful athlete's team has made her a better coach
Coach Series #2 | Nate Wilson
The second interview in the Coaching Series features a conversation with Nate Wilson. Nate is the performance director for the EF cycling team and has a coaching roster that includes Olympic gold medalists in triathlon and cycling. We discuss differences in his work with cyclists versus triathletes, falling short of performance expectations at an Olympic Games, work life balance for Nate and more.
Coach Series #1 | Paulo Sousa
Chasing the Burn is back. Season 2 kicks off with a conversation with Paulo Sousa, the first guest on a series of episodes featuring coaches in triathlon. After conquering academia several decades ago, the Portugal native turned his focus to coaching triathletes and took on the full commitment of running a daily environment squad of Olympic-focused athletes. Paulo had nine athletes compete at the
The NCAA Dilemma Part 2
We return to a topic from an April episode on Chasing the Burn: women's triathlon in the NCAA. Arizona State University's head coach Cliff English joins the conversation to update us on the progress of the sport and some issues they are facing. We also discuss the upcoming National Championship for the women which is heading to Clermont, FL on November 9th and the big news of the recent
Lucy Bartholomew
Cool human alert on this episode. Lucy is a professional ultra runner and "recreational" triathlete that just completed her second UTMB/Ironman World Champs double (just 3 weeks apart this year!). The Aussie proves to be an excellent storyteller as she explains how triathlon entered her life in 2020 and what balancing the two huge events looks like. We also get to hear a few Western Stat
Chasing the Burn Remix
The first ever Chasing the Burn-gone-rogue episode is the October podcast you didn’t know you needed. Abby Levene joins as my co-host and I allow her to take the mic, turn the tables and interview me. After the long overdue introduction we take a stab at our own rendition “SportsCenter endurance blotter” and finish out with a dive into the Grand Final/T100 double header coming in hot this weekend.
Vicky Holland
After nearly two decades of World Triathlon racing, Vicky Holland will start the final race of her career at the Grand Final in Spain in two weeks. Undeniably a legend in short course who has evolved through several eras of the sport, Vicky joins Chasing the Burn to take us down memory lane with her distinctly captivating style of storytelling. From nearly three hour runs in Kenya to a sprint down
Taylor Spivey
After earning a silver medal for the relay in Paris, Taylor is trying her best to get aero quickly for Ibiza and beyond. Includes Olympic talk, long course talk, a few life lessons and more!Use code chasingtheburn for 20% off most productshttps://telyrx.club/burn
Jackie Hering
Jackie Hering joins the chat on this episode to get me excited for Ironman season. The current leader of the Ironman Pro Series shares a short education on this series of the extremely long distanced racing and provides some insight into her life, perspective on the sport and thoughts on current issues in triathlon. Use code chasingtheburn for 20% off most productshttps://telyrx.club/burn
Ashleigh Gentle & Josh Amberger
It takes a village to stand on the top step of a professional podium in triathlon and often times a very supportive partner. Josh and Ashleigh are a married couple both pursuing big goals in the sport as individuals but support each other in undeniably critical ways. On this episode we talk about their relationship, from early days as teenagers pursuing totally different paths in triathlon all the
Kendall Gretsch
The Paratriathlon races kick off in Paris in just over one week! Kendall Gretsch joins Kevin and Chelsea on the show to share a bit of her impressive story. She owns FOUR Paralympic gold medals across both the winter and summer games. Most notably to us, Kendall won a sprint finish in the PTWC category in Tokyo and is heading to Paris as the reigning Paralympic Champion in that classification. She
Tales from Paris! + River Currents 101 by Flora Duffy
Kevin and Chelsea traveled to the City of Love to secure the most important details for this 2024 Triathlon Olympic Games recap episode. We debrief the races and focus on a few big topics that headlined the stage of these Games.... of course the water quality in the river, the venue debate, domestiques and more. For a special segment on river currents we hear our friend Flora Duffy discuss her exp
Les Jeux Olympiques Preview
A once every four years podcast! All things Olympic Triathlon in Paris preview with returning co-host Kevin McDowell. Kevin brings his Olympics experience and expertise from Tokyo to help set the stage for the men’s, women’s and mixed team relay events next week. We also discuss water quality, the pontoon draw and the swirling insanity that is high performance prep in the village atmosphere. Use c
Heather Jackson
The first ever non-triathlon episode on Chasing the Burn features triathlete converted to ultra trail runner and gravel cyclist Heather Jackson. After running a section of Western States as a pacer for Heather a few weeks ago, Chelsea is beyond eager to discuss the insanity of the iconic 100 mile event. This conversation was just really fun- we chat women's sports, the infamous river crossing
Emma Snowsill
Sixteen years since she became Olympic Champion in Beijing, Emma remains one of triathlon's all-time greats. Listen to this conversation as we discuss her career and experience with both Olympic selection and non-selection - lessons that remain relevant in 2024. Emma also talks about her mentoring role with Triathlon Australia and the future. One of the best episodes to date on Chasing the Bu
Kenji Nener
Just one month out from the individual races in Paris, Japanese triathlete and math star sits down to talk about his unique journey in triathlon. Kenji goes into the highs and lows of his development under the Australian system, his nationality switch before the Tokyo Olympics, and the recent form and peace he has found training with the Norwegian gang. He is articulate, intelligent and clearly a
Selection Chatter with Stapley
Max Stapley features on this episode where we discuss discretionary Olympic selections, how some of those decisions were reached and the health of World Triathlon amid the glory of the Olympics. Discussion on some nations has been omitted due to public announcement timings and sensitivity to personal affiliations. Use code chasingtheburn for 20% off!https://telyrx.club/burn
Jess Learmonth
An excellent interview during the dramatic week of Olympic Selection announcements. Jess Learmonth brings Yorkshire charm to this interview and speaks on some big highs and big lows since earning her relay gold medal three years ago in Tokyo. Tune in to hear details on a massive hip injury, pregnancy, return to racing and her thoughts on the current Olympic climate. Use code chasingtheburn for 20%
The Official Encyclopedia of Olympic Triathlon
Brilliant mind and Belgian Olympian Claire Michel comes to my rescue for this episode. We chat racing in WTCS Cagliari and the final weeks of the qualification period following the relay event in Huatulco. When and how do nations decide? What is a New Flag spot? A Tripartite spot? Learn it all
Yokohama.... Finally!
The Olympic year is off and rolling as a WTCS race has finally happened! Paula Findlay and Eric Lagerstrom join Chelsea to chat on the racing in Japan and the storylines and qualification scenarios unfolding beneath the surface. Use code chasingtheburn for 20% off!https://telyrx.club/burn
Holly Lawrence
She's pregnant! Holly sits down for a chat on pregnancy, women's support in the T100 and the recent murmurings on the role of anti-doping testing pools in the series.
Mortal Hydration
Becca Schepps is the founder of Mortal Hydration, Ironman's new hydration partner. She explains the recently announced alliance, the product and being a woman-owned company in the endurance world. Listen till the end for her take on Olympic selection, politics and funding from her experience with USA Cycling.
Taylor Knibb
The 26 year old star joins Chelsea in Boulder for a slice of banana bread and a chat on Olympics, her new coach and more...
The NCAA Dilemma Part 1
Chelsea is joined by NCAA coach Kyle Joplin to begin a multi-part conversation on NCAA triathlon. 2024 is the tenth year of the sport's status as "Emerging Sport". We reflect on the progress and consider the future
Morgan Pearson
Paris-bound American Morgan Pearson joins to chat as he prepares for his second Olympic Games this summer.
Not So Little Races
Matthew Sharpe joins the show to analyze the races in Hong Kong and Quarteira and their overtone on the Olympic year
India Lee
The first ever female winner of a T100 race dials in to Chasing the Burn all the way from England. One week after Miami, we dig in to who Indie is and how her unique path in triathlon has shaped her
The Race That Wasn't
Kevin McDowell joins as co-host to discuss what happened in Abu Dhabi and the implications of its cancellation.
Flora Duffy
The Olympic Champ from Tokyo joins the first ever episode of Chasing the Burn to discuss the details of her lengthy injury and more
