Warrnambool's Adam Cashmore, Hamilton's Gabrielle Lanman clinch Killarney Triathlon on Sunday

The Hamilton athlete saluted with victory at Sunday's Killarney Triathlon, crossing the finish line as the women's winner once again in the sprint distance course race.

In front of a strong crowd, who braved the unpredictable weather, as bouts of sunshine mixed with strong wins and at times heavy rain ensured conditions were difficult, it didn't dampen her spirits.

She told The Standard she simply loved competing in the Killarney Triathlon and was honoured to win the event again after previous success in the past.

"As always, I love competing at the Killarney Triathlon and part of it is riding along and every bike ride everyone has a smile whether they're in front, or right up the back, everyone's happy, and everyone cheers you along, " she said.

In the 500 metre swim, 16 kilometre bike ride and four kilometre run, it didn't quite all go to plan and she had to dig deep to get the winning result.

But Lanman recovered with poise to cruise to victory at a windy and rainy finish line.

"I had a bit of trouble with the bike so it's especially good," she said.

"I came off on the corner in the gravel and my chain came off so I had to quickly put the chain back on.

"I was in an uncomfortable chasing position so I did need the extra smiles and encouragement to get over the line.

"It's never easy (to win this event)."

She said she'd competed at Killarney for years and was driven by her love for the triathlon community and her family's passion for the sport.

"My youngest (child) is four and I can really start to get a bit more competitive again," she said.

"I do love this community here and it's a reason to get out and swim in the ocean - my family all do it and there's now room for the kids to have a go as well.

"It's just a nice atmosphere and way to be really active and something to keep aiming for in the summer."

Warrnambool father Adam Cashmore was the other major winner on the day, crossing the line as the first male in a consistent performance throughout the three legs.

The 45-year-old said he was over the moon at the result after a long absence from competing in triathlons.

"I got through in the end, it was my first one back in a really long time," he said.

"I had a bit of a break for six, seven years when we had kids and now they're getting a bit older and they want to start doing the kids events so I thought I'd lead by example.

"Monkey see, monkey do."

He added it was wonderful to be able to share along the journey with his family.

"I'm 45 now so my body's always got a few little niggles, I've got a bit of a sore Achilles now actually, but I'm having a lot of fun training and the kids normally follow along with their bikes while I'm running," he said.

"I really enjoy it. It's a good fun, family event so I'll keep going with it."

The Warrnambool Tri Club member said he had a strong passion for triathlons and believed the mix of skillsets made it most enjoyable.

"I really enjoy the three disciplines to the sport, it breaks the monotony up a bit - you can get in good swimming squads, running groups, cycling groups," he said.

Cashmore will rest up his body and gear up for more local events this season as a way to keep his kids motivated to follow in his footsteps.

"I'll do all the local ones which should be good fun, mainly to get the kids involved and lead by example," he said.

"As I said before, monkey see, monkey do."

There was also a short course, non-competitive event throughout the morning and afternoon consisting of a 250 metre swim, eight kilometre ride and four kilometre runs, as well as a variety of kids events for all different age groups.

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