9
Team 9 – CAN/AUS
Hilary Bell
Canada , Toronto
Merits
- 2024 One Water third place, finisher
- 2024 Coast to Coast 10th Elite Female
- 2023 One Water, 237km, DNF, third furthest team.
- 2023 Noosa Tri Age group winner
- 2023 Godzone New Zealand finisher, 26th place
- 2022 Expedition Canada (expedition race), 81h29m, 2nd Place
- 2022 Explore Gippsland (adventure race), 23h31m, 2nd Place
- 2017 Cairns 70.3 Ironman, 4h52m, 5th Place (19minutes for 1.9km swim!)
- 2006, 2008 Junior World Swimming Championships Canadian Team Member
- 2007 Pan American Games Silver & Bronze Medals (Freestyle Relays)
- 2007 Swimming World Cup Canadian Team Member
- 2007-2010 Canadian National Age Group Relays Record Holder
- 2008 Canadian Olympic Trials 7th place 200m Freestyle
– Why do you want to participate in One Water Race?
I like swimming and running for a long, long time, especially with an awesome and fun team! I want to push my body to the limit and see what it can do. One Water excites me because it will be an ultimate endurance test.
– Have you taken a similar challenge before?
Hilary raced OW 2023/2024, as well as several expedition races. She is a star performer particularly in the later stages of the race demonstrating her ability to endure tough conditions for long periods. When the other teams said ‘Hilary will crack first’, Marcus and I laughed. No way will Hilary ever break first.
– What are your strengths?
Swimming, running, endurance sports, racing, competitive edge, pushing my body to the limit, adapting to the current situation under pressure.
– What are your weaknesses?
Navigation.
– What would be your biggest challenges in this race?
Going non-stop for 60 hours (lack of sleep), creating a cohesive team in a short period of time, swim to run transitions, only female on team.
– Have you been to the Stockholm archipelago and what do you know/think about the terrain?
Yes, the OWR 2023 and 2024 were amazing. The area is picturesque but absolutely brutal on the body; hard rocky ground, cold water, thick scrub at times. Our legs were scratched to pieces and I picked up about 50 ticks on my legs!
– What are you most looking forward to, if you would participate in One Water Race?
I love racing as it forces my body and mind into a state of stress which demands immediate growth to overcome the immediate challenges without hesitation. Racing encourages and stimulates self-development to an extreme that I have not experienced in any other activity. OneWater is the ultimate test and will push me to the limit which is exactly what I love to do.
