A wild journey to becoming a world champion

Whakatāne athlete Hayden Wilde. Supplied photo.

Chasing his dream for greatness, New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde continues to hustle to be the best in the world.

In the new documentary ‘Hayden Wilde: Determined for Greatness’ the world-champion triathlete returns to his hometown Whakatāne to tell his story with the people and place that impacted and shaped him into the athlete he is today.

New Zealand triathlete Hayden Wilde is on a journey to be one of the best in the world, and isn’t far from it.

The 26-year-old’s determination, resilience and talent has seen him earn two course records, claim a world title, and provide him with the confidence to perform on the world stage later this year. 

"I don’t think I’ve ever had that natural talent but I’ve always had determination to be the best I can be. There’s still so much more of the sport that I  want to conquer but also to be a full time athlete from where I’ve come from is just a success in itself," says Wilde.

"Having the opportunity to race and be one of the best in the world is a dream come true."

Based in Andorra, Hayden returned to his roots on a visit to his hometown in Whakatāne, New Zealand which was showcased in the new short documentary ‘Hayden Wilde: Determined for Greatness’.

The documentary uncovers insights and stories about Hayden’s persona, and the place and people that have helped build him into the athlete and person he is today. 

‘Hayden Wilde: Determined for Greatness’, available to watch on redbull.com, gives viewers an intimate behind the scenes look into what it takes to become a world champion – the determination, the struggles, the mental tactics and his relentless drive to be the best.  

Reflecting on the documentary, Wilde shares: ‘’I’ve always been competitive and loved sports and the outdoors. Finding this sport was a gamechanger for me. From the documentary you can meet the important people in my life who have shaped me into who I am today. It’s been a journey and I’ve experienced life-changing challenges like losing my dad when I was a kid. But it’s all part of what makes me who I am.

"Coming back to New Zealand takes me back to my roots. It keeps me motivated to chase my dream of being the world’s best."

The documentary includes interviews with Wilde’s inner circle including his mother, step father, siblings, teacher and partner.

It provides insights into who Wilde is and gives viewers the chance to get to know him as the humble, down-to-earth, regular Kiwi man that he is.

In the lead up to what is set to be one of Wilde’s biggest years to date, he is more determined than ever to become the best in the world and represent New Zealand on the world stage – and knows what he needs to do to get there. 

‘" think what drives me is just the pursuit of being the best that I can be. I feel like there’s many more attributes in my performance that I need to unlock. The mental challenge is super hard. I think anyone can be physically strong, I think mentally is a huge game," says Wilde.   

The 12-minute documentary is a raw look into Whākatane’s Hayden Wilde that pieces together the making of an elite athlete on a journey to being the best in the world. ‘Hayden Wilde: Determined for Greatness’ is available to watch worldwide on redbull.com here.  

1 comment

Truly great athlete

Posted on 24-06-2024 10:34 | By an_alias

I've watched him compete many times on the world stage and is truly one of the best in this sport


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