What if your endurance journey didn’t start in your teens… but in your late 40s?
In this episode of The Coach Debbie Potts Show, I sit down with Hilary Topper, who began endurance training at 48, started training for triathlons at 53, and built her “why” around one simple mission: to become the best version of herself.
Hilary shares the real behind-the-scenes of starting “later,” learning new skills from scratch, and building the discipline to show up—especially when it means a 4:00 AM alarm and doing hard things before most people are awake.
We also celebrate Hilary’s newest project: her recently launched fourth book, Unlocking the Triathlon: The Beginner’s Guide to Competing in a Triathlon—Anyone Can Tri, published by Meyer & Meyer Sport.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
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Why Hilary started endurance training later in life—and what changed everything for her
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Whether she was an athlete earlier in life (and how that shaped her comeback story)
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How hard it was to learn how to swim (and what helped her finally “get it”)
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How 4:00 AM became a habit—without relying on motivation
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What it really takes to build consistency, confidence, and identity as a triathlete—at any age
Connect with Hilary
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Instagram: @hilarytopper
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Website: ATriathletesDiary.com
