After winning the team 2021 national championship for triathlon, two Sun Devils started their season a few weeks early. Senior Liberty Ricca and sophomore Alexe Coursol were invited to compete in the International University Sports Federation (FISU) World University Championships in Maceio, Brazil, on Sept. 9 and 10.
The invitation was the culmination of a lifelong passion for the two. Ricca and Coursol both were introduced to triathlons at a young age by family.
For Coursol, who grew up in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, triathlons and family are intertwined with one another.
"For me, triathlon became a family sport," said Coursol. "My mom, brother, and I all started at the same time. Every weekend there was a competition; it was like a family road trip. We would sleep at a hotel and make friends along the way. We made a big triathlon family, and it is something that has kept me in the sport for years."
Having grown up in Colorado Springs, Ricca had a different path to becoming a triathlete. Her father was a runner in the Air Force Academy, so she grew up running while also swimming for a club.
That's when triathlon came into her life.
"One day they had a clinic for triathlons, and I was still at the age where I was trying new sports like karate to see if I liked it," Ricca said. "After the clinic, I fell in love with triathlons, and I have been doing them ever since."
Now both athletes have gone to Brazil to represent their country, trading in the maroon and gold for the red, white, and blue of the U.S. and the red and white for Canada.
"Representing the Maple Leaf flag is always an honor," Coursol said. "I am proud to be a French-Canadian and have the ability to represent my country."
Ricca still remembers the moment she found out about the national triathlon team.
"After I finished my first ever junior national race in Ohio, a member of the national team came up to me," Ricca said. "They asked me if I wanted to be a part of the national team. I had a standstill moment of thinking to myself, the 'wait, is this real?' It is something I will always remember."
The race itself in Brazil was not what Ricca and Coursol were hoping for. Ricca was the only athlete not to finish the race after being involved in a cycling accident in which she hit her head.
Later in the race, Ricca pulled herself after feeling discomfort with her head.
"Despite the race not going my way, I was proud of myself for not letting a silly crash bring me down," Ricca said. "It is something I have worked on over the last couple of years, and it makes me feel stronger as an individual because, in years past, I might have just given up at the moment. Being able to turn on the fighter in me is a big step forward for me."
Coursol was able to complete the race, finishing in 24th place.
Following the experience in Brazil, she came away with a new perspective on where she is as an athlete at this point in life.
"I am at the place in my career where I need to refocus and reground myself," Coursol said. "Even though this race did not go as planned, I am always learning, and this race was a big learning experience for me."
The race was essentially a warm-up for both Sun Devils as their attention turned to the first collegiate competition of the 2022 season, only a few weeks away on Sep. 24 and Sept. 25 at the University of Denver.
Coursol finished third at the Oktoberfest triathlon on the first day. The next day her relay team came in second place.
Ricca, who wanted redemption from the race in Brazil, got just that.
She finished fifth in the individual triathlon, and her relay team was able to win the next day. Ricca set the fastest time of the relay, finishing a 200-meter swim and 1,000-meter run in 5:59.
Coach Cliff English was more than happy to see the resilience displayed by both athletes.
"You have to learn how to lose and deal with the bumps along the way," English said. "It was important for both of them to bounce back and do well in Colorado. That is what champions do. It is important to have the experience of disappointment, learn from it, and use that as fuel for the next race."
With the first collegiate event done, Ricca and Coursol will try to improve again at the NCAA West National Qualifier on Oct. 15 in Stockton, Missouri.
Edited by Walker Smith, Logan Stanley and Grace Copperthite.
Reach the reporter at bsilvyn@asu.edu and follow @BSilvyn on Twitter.
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Bennett Silvyn is a reporter for the sports desk at The State Press. He has previously worked for Walter Cronkite Sports Network and FC Tucson.
