Hannah-Lee Young Talks Trails, Tactics, and Going All In at the APAC Champs

In 2024, Hannah-Lee Young became the Asia-Pacific Champion with a standout performance on the infamously unforgiving trails of Taiwan. This year, she is taking on a whole new challenge, committing fully to the XTERRA World Cup with one goal: becoming the first Australian female to crack the top 10.

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Growing up in rural Australia, where the local pool was open just four months a year, it wasn’t the typical start to a triathlon career. But Young has always had an “all-in” approach to life, a mindset that first took her to Cambodia as a dive instructor, then to Fiji, where she met her partner, Luke. It was Luke who introduced her to the “crazy off-road world” of XTERRA, and by 2021, she had found a new identity in off-road triathlon.

“I’m very much an ‘all-in’ person. If I like something and I want to pursue it, I’ll pursue it with everything I’ve got.”

Her rise in the sport was rapid. In 2023, she won the World Triathlon Cross Championship in Ibiza, then backed it up with the 2024 XTERRA Asia-Pacific title in Taiwan. She now returns to familiar trails in Dunsborough, the site of her career-best finish at XTERRA Australia last year, to defend her title and launch her 2025 World Cup campaign.

This year’s event also marks a significant milestone for XTERRA racing in the region. It is the first time the Asia-Pacific Championship has been held in Australia since its inaugural edition in New South Wales in 2014. This year sees the race return down under, this time to an all-new location three hours south of Perth and just west of Busselton, a well-known triathlon hub.

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For Young, it’s a big start to the season, with her regional championship title and crucial World Cup points on the line in both Short Track and Full Distance races. But for the Aussie, it’s all smiles as she gears up for one of her favorite destinations on the XTERRA circuit.

What makes Dunsborough a must-visit for athletes, both on and off the racecourse?

Hannah: Just the whole atmosphere on that section of coast is so lovely. It’s such a destination area, and there is so much to explore and enjoy aside from racing.

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The MTB course is so much fun—we joked that we would have come anyway just to ride because it’s just so epic! There are also more trails to explore further south at Margaret River, and the trail running is top-notch. The colour of the water makes you feel like you are in a tropical paradise (although the temperature quickly ensures you are not!).

You had a great race in Dunsborough last year. Tell us more about the course.

I have really positive memories from last year, where I ended up second, which was my highest elite podium. I just remember smiling and really having a great time on the bike. It’s somewhere you’d go and ride even if it wasn’t a race.

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The trails are so cool, and they are quite loose, which is a very different surface to what people may be used to riding in Europe. You have to be quite careful on some of the corners, but there are lots of jumps, good flow, and even a section through a golf course—which is pretty funny when you see golfers playing and kangaroos everywhere. It’s pretty special.

“It’s somewhere you’d go and ride even if it wasn’t a race.”

The swim is in crystal-clear water. It’s absolutely beautiful, and you can see the fish swimming underneath. The run course is really unique, all along the beach, with lots of rocks and obstacles. Depending on the tide, that can play a huge factor in how difficult the sand running is.

How does the local culture and community in Dunsborough support the race and experience?

We met quite a few locals while we were in town for the race, and a special shoutout to Kristin Gardner (AUS), who was racing in the Elite Female field. Kristin welcomed us with open arms and had such good energy!

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She absolutely frothed the course and really enhanced our experience with her passion. The general vibe in the town is very laid-back, with that quintessential surf culture Australia is known for.

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And of course, you can’t talk about the locals without mentioning the kangaroos. You’ll get very close to the local roo population as you’re whizzing and winding around the bike course—it’s pretty magical!

Any local spots in Dunsborough you’d recommend to visiting athletes?

Ooh, every morning after a course recce, we’d head down to the water and grab a coffee and Florentine at the Silver Bullet coffee cart. It was quite popular with locals, as there was always a line!

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Merchant and Maker is also a great spot in town for a refreshment and some yummy treats. For dinner, we couldn’t go past the amazing pizza at The Bungalow Neighbourhood Social. It had an awesome atmosphere and was always buzzing, filled with everyone from locals to traveling surfers.

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Post-race, you must visit the local wineries. Last year, we had an incredible post-race lunch at Swings and Roundabouts, then dropped into Vasse Felix for a wine tasting.

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And if you have time, watch the sunset in Yallingup, where you can see the sun drop below the ocean—it’s truly stunning. If you have access to a car, make a trip down to Margaret River, check out the famous surf comp, and jump in for a bodysurf in the waves.

What advice do you have for competitors at XTERRA Australia, especially first-timers?

Let the atmosphere energize you, and have lots and lots of fun on the downhill runs in the bike leg!

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The race is held in such a stunning location, and sometimes we get caught up in the competition. Embrace every part of the experience, and make sure you take some time away from your prep at the race venue to enjoy the town and surrounding areas.

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I would also suggest doing a good course recce of the beach section in the run leg. There are multiple options for line choices, and dialing in a few for yourself before the race will really help.

With your full commitment to the XTERRA World Cup and a new coach, how are you feeling about chasing a top-10 finish?

I’m pretty excited. It’s a big deal, and I’ve been saying to my partner, it’s like having a round-the-world trip. People save up their whole life to do this kind of thing, and I get to do it—to race—which is very unique and special.

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I knew it was something I had to do. To get into the top ten at the end of the year, you pretty much have to race nearly every stop. When you’re not finishing in the top five in individual races, you just have to keep chasing points.

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It’s an ambitious goal—no Australian woman has ever really gone after it from this side of the world.

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I also ended up changing coaches. I’ve been with Jacqui Allen since the beginning, in March 2022. She basically took me from a total beginner who didn’t even have cleats on a mountain bike and wore a skate helmet.

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She put in so much effort and time into me, and I really appreciated that. But I felt for this next stage of my journey, I needed to try something different. Jacqui is also a great friend, and I wanted a new dynamic in the coach-athlete relationship. It’s been really cool to change up the training structure.

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(Note: Young is now coached by former XTERRA World Champion and 15-time XTERRA Americas Champion, Josiah Middaugh.)

Finally, what advice would you give your younger self?

Gosh, right now, I really wish I had done a lot more swimming!

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And probably explored our local bush more on my bike—jumping off the gutters in my street isn’t quite the same as railing a berm or clearing a tabletop, but it was a step in the right direction!

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I’m not sure what advice my younger self needs that would have changed the path I’m on. My journey is my own, and it’s been an incredible one, intertwined with many stories and versions of ‘Hannah.’

“Jumping off the gutters in my street isn’t quite the same as railing a berm or clearing a tabletop, but it was a step in the right direction!”

As an older athlete coming into the sport quite late, there are parts of me that wish I had dove into triathlon earlier. But with my all-in attitude, that would have taken my focus away from scuba diving, which was my passion for so many years.

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No regrets, I say!

The Asia-Pacific Championship marks the start of an entirely new chapter not only for Young, but for a number of other athletes stepping up to the challenge in Dunsborough.

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For the first time, the event will feature the Asia-Pacific Youth Championship as the XTERRA Youth Tour expands to include three regional titles this season. The pro field will battle on Australian soil in the XTERRA World Cup for the first time, kicking off with the fast-format Short Track on March 27. And for the trail runners, this will be the first Asia-Pacific Trail Run Championship held in Australia as part of the global Trail Run World Series.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 4-in-1 festival, and if you’re not already registered and ready, grab yourself a pre-race coffee at Silver Bullet and get ready to cheer for the next class of Asia-Pacific Champions in Dunsborough, Australia, from March 27-30. All start times are available on the Asia-Pacific Championship event page.