Athletes Women › Simone Ackermann
Simone Ackermann faced a long road to achieve her triathlon dream. Simone was born in East London, South Africa, before moving to Whangarei, New Zealand, when she was nine-years-old. An outdoor lifestyle encouraged her into swimming before she took up surf lifesaving. She made the switch to triathlon racing in 2008 and by 2010 was securing podium spots at events such as the Asian Cup.
Simone took the OTU Triathlon Oceania Championship title at Under-23 level in both 2013 and 2014 before coming second as an elite in 2015 as she also enjoyed increasing consistency on the World Cup and WTS circuit.
In 2016 she was hoping to be part of the New Zealand squad for the Rio Olympics and believed she had done enough to warrant selection. However, Triathlon New Zealand forfeited their third female spot, meaning the next highest athlete on the Olympic rankings took the place.
Simone opted to use her dual citizenship to make a switch and compete for South Africa. It was a move that enabled her to compete in the African Championships, and in June 2021 she took the title with a superb display in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. She also achieved her dream of competing in the Olympics in Tokyo, where she finished 17th.
Simone is a member of North Harbour Triathlon Club where she also works as a coach and a social media manager. She is coached by former pro triathlete Stephen Farrell.
Simone completed a Masters in journalism studies at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Results posted shortly after the race may contain errors.
RR - Race Ready | TBD - To Be Determined | DNS - Did Not Start | DNF - Did Not Finish
Championship Teams
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Championship 2021
Malibu 25 Sep 2021
Jersey 18 Sep 2021
Munich 12 Sep 2021
London 5 Sep 2021