Renee Noronha became the youngest Indian female Ironman at 19 after completing the Ironman triathlon in Hamburg, Germany. She completed the triathlon in 14 hours out of the total 17 hours, which is two and a half hours less than her previous time at the Ironman New Zealand. She achieved this while balancing her education at IIT Madras.
Renee didn’t start off with triathlons. She was a professional artistic gymnast from the ages of six to sixteen. She started her triathlon journey after competing in the Ironman Kids in Goa at 16, finishing first in her age group. She later competed in an Olympic-distance triathlon, and later, a full Ironman. In 2023, at just 18 years and 49 days, Renee became the youngest Indian to finish a full Ironman in New Zealand. But it was in Hamburg, Germany, earlier this month, that she felt she truly pushed her limits. In 2023, at just 18 years and 49 days old, Noronha became the youngest Indian woman to complete a full Ironman, achieving this feat at the Ironman New Zealand race. Battling cold winds and rain near the finish line, she impressively secured fourth place in her age group. With two Ironman finishes before turning 20, Renee has firmly established herself as a rising talent in the world of global endurance sports
In a conversation with her Instagram followers, she recounted her entire journey until receiving her medal engraved with her finishing time. After the triathlon, she met her dad, took photos, proudly held up the Indian flag, and made calls to family back home.
At Hamburg, Renee finished 15th in her age group (18-24) with a swim time of 1:30:33, a 6:58:5 bike time, and a 5:16:45 marathon.
Renee is currently based in London, where her family moved last year, but she continues to study remotely at IIT Madras, pursuing a B.Sc degree in Data Science and Applications.