Max Stapley

Coming from a swim and run background, the 23-year-old honed his triathlon skills under the tutelage of Jamie Turner with the famous Wollongong Wizards – the New South Wales training group that helped develop star athletes such as Aaron Royle, Ashleigh Gentle and Jake Birtwhistle, as well as 2016 Olympic champion Gwen Jorgenson of the USA.

Stapley made an impressive start to Super League action in the Arena Games this spring, taking part in all three events, finishing second in Munich and sixth in London before a creditable ninth-place in the final round in Singapore. With pool swimming isolating strengths and weaknesses in the water, Stapley’s talent shone through and kept him in the mix during each race.

In complete contrast at almost 20 times longer, those swim skills were also utilised in helping Britain’s Joe Skipper with preparation for the ambitious and ultimately successful Pho3nix Foundation’s Sub7Sub8 project this summer.

Stapley competed for Team Cheetahs in the 2022 Championship Series. While bike crashes hindered his chances at individual glory, Stapley got on a podium as part the Cheetahs who finished 3rd in the team competition.

Away from Super League action, Stapley already has two top 10 finishes in World Cup racing, and has continued his development this summer by competing in Arzachena (Italy) and Pontevedra (Spain) – leading out of the water in the latter.

It’s not been without some upheaval. Having represented Australia in his youth, Stapley is switching allegiance to Britain and is currently racing in the neutral strip of World Triathlon while representation for his new nation is approved. Once confirmed, Stapley will be looking to secure starts in the World Triathlon Championship Series.

The evidence suggests he won’t quit in that quest, as demonstrated by one anecdote from his teen years. As a 17-year-old in the 2016 French cross-country championships Stapley lost his spikes over the sticky terrain, but carried on running despite having no grip and ending up flat on his face. The picture of Stapley and his mud-covered singlet would go on to grace magazine covers in France years later as a testament to his resilience.