Meet Jonas Colting, a Triathlon Top Athlete and Swimrun Legend

Jonas Colting is a legendary athlete in triathlon as he boasts several medals and a very own Wikipedia page to tell his amazing story. He has been competing in the sport since 1991 and has won an astonishing six World and European medals, as well as the Ultraman World Championships in Hawaii – twice! He has also won the Swimrun Ö to Ö three times, all the while being the only person competing in the race every year since its inception in 2006. A strong advocate of Swimrun, Jonas has contributed a lot to the sport’s recent recognition and popularity amongst fitness lovers and professional athletes.

A passionate open water swimmer, he won second place at the classic Vansbrosimmet race, while in 2014 he became the first person to swim the 640 kilometres between Stockholm and Gothenburg. It is during this demanding race that he realized he could not find a swimming suit to cover his needs as a top athlete. Sometime later, his very own brand, Colting Wetsuits was born. Always pushing boundaries, Jonas has devoted his practice to training, coaching, and publishing books that tell his amazing life experiences. For diPulse Talks, we caught up with him to discuss his personal fitness journey and the challenges he has faced to become a first-class triathlon athlete.

How did you first start to be interested in fitness?

 I began swimming at the age of 10. At that time I was the last person to have passed my school's swim test and I was also the slowest runner in my class, so my natural talents were obviously not that strong. But as I started working out and swimming almost every day I discovered that talent is overrated and training is underrated. Swimming is great as it´s very accurate and precise and one can compare times and compete with one's own personal bests.

For a very long time, I was one of the slowest swimmers but I was always improving my times in races. Over time I also began to win races. I discovered I had a capacity for training and endurance and also an understanding of the process of improvement and potential. Once I tried my first triathlon it was obvious that it was my sport to excel in. I spent ten years learning and practicing before I won my first World Championships podium.

What do you think is your biggest accomplishment to date?

 To have fulfilled a potential that I didn´t even know I had and to have been an elite athlete for over 30 years and still enjoy the daily training that I do. The achievements that I take the most pride in are my two wins at the Ultraman Triathlon World Championships and my three wins in ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Championships. Also, swimming 640 kilometres from Stockholm to Gothenburg and raising over 100,000 USD for charity is something I´m proud of.

What makes triathlon challenging?

 The challenge of combining three very different activities and also the challenge of combining both extreme endurance with the ability to go fast. There are so many variables in a triathlon race that you can´t really control. Weather, course, temperatures, terrain, and also how your body will react throughout the race.

You are also a successful fitness coach. What are the most valuable fitness tips you can share?

 I coach a lot of people that train for their first Ironman and such. I put a lot of emphasis on patience and slow progress. As a recreational athlete wanting to progress over time, my advice is “don’t train harder today than it will allow you to train tomorrow”. A lot of people go way too hard and way too stressed and it leads to injuries, illness, burn-out and sporadic training. Long-term health should always be the priority, and longevity should always be the goal.