The 36-year-old will test her skills in the Warrnambool Tri Club’s Couch to Coast event on Saturday at Killarney beach.

Cheeseman, who works as a career councillor at Warrnambool College, and her children Lily, 7, and Ella, 4, will dive into the free women’s ‘Come-n-Tri’ and the kids’ ‘Splash-n-Dash-or-Dawdle’ events.

“I wanted to get back into fitness after a while of doing nothing and it’s a really achievable, really fun and something different and I thought I would give it a go,” she said.

Although she hasn’t prepared for anything like this before, Cheeseman said she was still appealed in other ways to do the 250-metre swim/wade, eight-kilometre cycle, 2.2km walk/jog.

“I have done a couple of 10-kilometre runs in the Melbourne Marathon but that was a couple of years ago but other then that I have’t done much,” she said.

“But I do enjoy swimming and I do enjoy running so I thought it would be fun. The distances are all really achievable and I thought that each one would be a mini success in itself.

“I think the run will be the most challenging and it is only 2.2 kilometres so it’s a bit interesting.” 

The women’s event is sponsored by Leadership Great South Coast, which is running the event alongside the tri club, meaning competitors won’t have to pay an entry fee to compete. 

The family-friendly Splash-n-Dash-or-Dawdle is also free and allows kids and beginners to get a taste of the sport in a 50-metre wade, 500-metre ride, 200-metre run/walk.

For the seasoned triathletes, there is still an open event ($40 entry) on Sunday which involves a 500-metre swim, 16-kilometre ride and a 4.4-kilometre run. 

Leadership Great South Coast team leader and Warrnambool Tri Club member Kate Haberfield said the event was about encouraging new participants to the sport and not about competition. 

“We want as many people as possible participating, so they can have fun, feel good, and come away with a sense of accomplishment,” she said.

“We’re removing costs, competitive elements, and any perceptions that people need to have expensive bikes or clothing.

“The message is to come and enjoy this great location, have fun, and encourage each other along.” 

The women’s event starts at 1pm on Saturday, followed by the kids’ triathlon at 3pm. The open race begins at 10am on Sunday.

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