Women's Cross Country September 15, 2015

Villani Set To Compete In Triathlon World Championships

Panther freshman will compete in cross country, track & field

MILWAUKEE – Competing in a triathlon is no easy task.

But, for UW-Milwaukee freshman Aleena Villani, a triathlon is a walk in the park.

Villani – who will compete in both cross country and track and field for the Panthers – has also been competing in triathlons since a very young age. Now, she gets to take her talents against the best in the sport, competing for Team USA at the World Sprint Triathlon Championships in Chicago this Thursday.

Starting At A Young Age

The Kenosha native got into the sport with a little help from both her mom and dad. She went with her dad and brother to the Velodrome near their house to start biking at a young age. She was also part of a swim team at a young age when her mom started training for triathlons.

After competing in her first triathlon, it was quickly apparent that Villani was quite good. Her parents took her to the National Championships when she was six in Georgia where she again did very well to help jump start her into the sport.

"Most kids do a lot of sports when they're little – playing soccer, basketball and things like that. I never did a bunch of sports," Villani said. "I discovered triathlon early on and it's really developed me as a person. I love it."

Summer Training

Fast forward to present day and Villani's love of the sport is still going strong.

In fact, she spends her summers doing more work for her sport than most do in a year.

Training with Z3 Triathlon just a few hours down the road in Iowa, Villani has her days completely planned out.

"We average three practices a day," Villani said. "You wake up and swim at 5:30, come home and take a nap. Then, you have strength (training) and you run during that. Then you probably just eat and nap more and then at night you bike for about 30 to 40 miles. That's what summer is like."

Not your average summer for an 18 year old.

Plenty Of Experience

All of that training has helped Villani become one of the best, not only in the state or country, but in the entire world.

Since competing at the National Championships in Georgia at age six, Villani has continued to take on the any challenger and has done exceedingly well – qualifying for the National Championships numerous times, as well as the World Championships now a handful of times.

At last summer's World Championships held just north of the border in Edmonton, Villani came in sixth overall out of nearly 60 competitors. In fact, Villani posted the fastest overall running time in Canada, finishing the 5,000-kilometer run in just under 20 minutes.

Worth Every Second

There certainly have been plenty of challenging moments for Villani.

Her sophomore year of high school she had to choose between competing in the World Triathlon Championships that she earned a spot in or rejoining her friends and classmates on the cross country team. WIAA rules said she couldn't do both.

She has to juggle the three sports of triathlon (swimming, biking and running) all at the same time as being on a cross country or track team, while most people that age focus on just one.

Even though there are some tough times, she says there are so many rewarding moments that make it all worth it.

"Those moments are definitely one of the things that keeps me going," Villani said. "Triathlon isn't necessarily the most popular sport, so one of the benefits is that I get to travel a lot. Going different places and meeting different people – I kind of think of it as leading a double life. I have my life here and my life in triathlon.

"You can be at the starting line and hear all these different languages and different accents around you. That's pretty cool. Some of the people don't speak English and you're trying to work with them during the race. That's definitely a different experience than you're used to.

"Getting to these bigger-level races – it's quite a hike to get there and go through some of these things but once you do, it's all worth it."

College Life

After her triathlon in Chicago, Villani is set to start competing collegiately for Milwaukee. She has already been training with her Panther cross country teammates and they're excited to have her on the squad.

"Aleena is exactly the type of person that we're looking for," Milwaukee head cross country and track & field coach Pete Corfeld said. "She brings a worldly view of the sport. To be able to compete for Team USA at the highest level is an incredible accomplishment. To have someone of that level on our team, it will only make the rest of the team better. We're very proud to call her a Panther."

Villani says she wasn't sure where she wanted to go to college or if she wanted to do cross country, triathlon or both at the next level. But, once she found out about UWM, the decision became much clearer.

"I emailed coach Corfeld on a Wednesday and by Saturday I was in here for a visit," Villani said. "I met with my academic advisor and everything just flowed really well.

"Pete is just such an awesome coach and I felt really welcome with the team. I love the campus here and they have a great nursing program. I guess I couldn't pick anywhere else. This just really worked out perfectly."

High Hopes

Villani has high hopes, both for her upcoming collegiate season, but also for her race in Chicago this Thursday.

After finishing sixth last year, it's clear she is one of the frontrunners in the elite field.

Although she's only been at UWM for a short while, her new coach says its clear she has what it takes to be the best.

"She definitely has the drive and determination. No matter what she does, she can do it," Corfeld said. "She's a special person, for sure. It's a really cool feeling to be able to coach her. We can't wait to see how her race goes for her."

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Players Mentioned

Aleena Villani: Freshman

Players Mentioned

Aleena Villani
: Freshman