“I just liked the shoes…after having tried several other brands, Newton was just a great one for me and so I approached them for a formal sponsorship agreement.” When asked about the unique mid-foot plate that Newton shoes have Craig mentioned that a good runner is off their feet quickly and that running is performed properly with a mid foot strike. The design of Newton shoes encourages this more than other shoes.

But it is not the equipment that makes a champion athlete. When Craig and Pete were asked about their experiences with triathlon equipment – potentially very expensive – they believed that those are just the “1 percent’s”. For example, Pete once had a top ten finish on a race using his first bike, which was just $1500 brand new. A few years later he returned with several thousand dollars worth of equipment only to beat his time by four minutes!

Craig told us of his experiences working with Chris Carmichael – coach to the legendary Lance Armstrong – who invited him to meet since they lived very close to each other in Colorado. Since Craig had been training without a coach he thought it would be helpful to have Chris look at his training and was encouraged when this world-class coach affirmed his own schedule and merely suggested that he should get a pedal meter. He also arranged for Craig to have access to the local wind tunnel testing facility to perfect his bike fit and configuration. Craig tested out different wheel sets and found that a triathlete’s hand positioning is very important as well as your helmet, but overall, his own fit – gained through trial and error over the years – suited him better, as well as a normal helmet as opposed to an aero helmet.

Again though, both of these elite athletes were under the impression that equipment is only 1 percent of your performance and the rest is your training and your performance on the day. Crowie emphasized that consistency in your training is the key to your success as an athlete, granted that you remain injury free. Although he did mention that he enjoyed when he could “smash up on the guys with better stuff.”

Craig actually grew up playing soccer and had never really cycled or swam. But after he started competing as a 21 year-old Physiotherapy student he never looked back and remained very consistent in his training and racing. He considers himself an all-rounder, not specializing in any of the three legs. His favorite athletes are Roger Federer and Tiger Woods because they too are true all-rounders and can win in any situation, on any surface or using a driver, iron or putter.

As with these athletes Crowie is happy to keep up on the swim if people are going out hard or pushing on the bike or the run. He always thought he had the potential to go far and just decided to go for it. Craig is actually grateful he started so late because he is peaking now in his thirties where other athletes might never see their own because they burn out at very young. Obviously, “there’s a change in mind-set when turning pro because it is paying the bills…” he told us when asked about turning pro. “It really just adds to the emotions of winning a race…” said Pete who, albeit much younger than Crowie, is still a formidable contender in the professional triathlete circuit.

The two triathletes competed in the Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore today and placed 1st and 4th respectively – CONGRATULATIONS! “Chris is a tough adversary” said Crowie when asked about the “Crowie vs. Macca” showdown – “Macca” being the nickname for Chris McCormick – the media has hyped about. But humble as always Craig mentioned the other top athletes competing, saying that any one of them could win if it was their day.

His family did not join him on his visit to Singapore as they would normally, but Craig seemed excited about his new son or daughter (they want it to be a surprise!) arriving in a couple of weeks. Mrs Alexander – Neri – and their daughter Lucy are very involved in Crowie’s life as a triathlete and join him for 3-4 months out of each year in Colorado for his training there as well as accompany him to most of his races. They are even an integral part of his training with Neri riding next to him on a bike pulling Lucy behind her while he puts in some miles in his Newton’s. “It really is a lifestyle sport,” he said when asked about triathlon, his life and also the development of triathlon, “you get to travel around the world and see all these exciting places …” Although, it is still an underdeveloped sport as compared to its individual legs with swimming and running being in the Olympics since its inception and even before the Games.

Overall, Craig enjoys the St. Croix Triathlon the most as is apparent by his three wins there! He also enjoys the Chicago Triathlon because of the sheer size of the event and the ability to see so many downtown landmarks in one race. In the off-season likes to spend time with his family, catch some surfing, paddle a surf-ski and also golf when he can.

Again congratulations Craig on your win today and we hope to see you back here again next year!