The trip home was well worth it for two of the south-west's young exports.
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Kobe Henderson, who grew up at Timboon, and Steph Hibburt, who hails from Port Campbell, took out the men's and women's sections of the Foreshore Triathlon on Sunday.
The pair were successful in the Warrnambool Tri Club open race which challenged competitors to complete a 500-metre swim, 20-kilometre bike ride and 5km run at Warrnambool breakwater.
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Henderson, 17, and Hibburt, 21, had trained together before they both moved away from their home towns.
"Kobe and I met at the Timboon pool I think," Hibburt said.
"We used to get up early in the morning and he'd ride to the pool and I'd ride to the pool from my house.
"We'd be training every morning and we'd go off for a bike ride."
She said it was special they both enjoyed success on the same day.
Hibburt, a keen cyclist and swimmer, has competed in cycling races at Camperdown over the years and is also a Footscray Cycling Club member.
She won the women's section of 2018 Foreshore Triathlon but missed last year through injury.
"I had a stress fracture in my leg," she said.
Hibburt, who is now based in Melbourne, said the injury had impacted her preparation for the run.
"The run was tough because I haven't run 5kms in a long time," she said.
"I haven't been able to because my bone is still recovering."
But her preparation had been on point for the swim.
She finished third overall in the open women's section of the recent Shipwreck Coast Swim Series.
Hibburt thanked her grandpa John Millard, of Camperdown, for attending all her events throughout the years.
Henderson, who is now Bendigo-based, said he was thrilled to win his first Warrnambool Tri Club event.
He admitted he had been inspired by Camperdown export Kurt McDonald who has won a hosts of south-west triathlons.
"I always loved watching Kurt McDonald race so it's nice to win a race that he's won a few years in a row," he said.
Henderson described McDonald as "bit of an idol" and plans to message him about his success in the Foreshore Triathlon.
The teenager was first out of the water before Ruben De Silva-Smith overtook him in the bike leg.
Henderson stormed home in the run to claim victory.
He thanked the volunteers and his coach Joanne King, who hails from Portland.
De Silva-Smith finished second with Andy Ryan third in the men's section.
Jenny Dowie and Gabrielle Lanman were next across the line after Hibburt in the women's race.
Heavy Hitters was the first team passed the post with Team Odyssey in second and Powered by Pilates in third.
A dozen people took part in the Come and Tri event designed to get more people involved in the sport.
The all-abilities event, a crowd favourite, had 10 participants.
Twenty-eight youngsters took part in the junior events.
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