London Calling
GREAT BEGINNINGS
Indeed, a tandem trip to London next summer would offer a happily-ever-after ending for a fairy tale romance that began back in 2002 when Laura — already a star on the American tri scene — traveled from her hometown of North Palm Beach, Fla., to Victoria, British Columbia, to join a training group that included the likes of Canadian pro Simon Whitfield and, yes, Greg, the brash, blond Aussie who at the time was ranked No. 1 in the world. Tall and lean with inviting eyes and a smile fit for toothpaste commercials, Laura caught Greg’s eye the second she stepped on the pool deck. Sparks flew instantly.
“I pretty much knew he was ‘the one’ after two weeks. We started to spend a ton of time together,” recalls Laura of Greg, whom she affectionately calls GB. “We got along great and could talk for hours.”
For an always-on-the-go elite triathlete, dating someone outside the sport can be challenging. But because Greg and Laura already shared the same sort of frenetic, nomadic lifestyle, they simply joined forces and began traveling and training together. Within months of meeting, they moved into the same house at another triathlon camp in Noosa, along Australia’s sunshine coast.
“The funny thing is, we never really dated,” says Laura. “We moved in together [almost right away] because it made sense. Needless to say that first year of living together was intense. We didn’t want to screw it up.”
They made it work — and made their union official in November 2004 at a lavish wedding in Palm Beach celebrated by 250 of their friends and family. Though both wanted a smaller, more intimate affair, Laura’s mom, Sharon Reback, had other ideas for her daughter. “We said, ‘No problem, if you would like a huge wedding, please do. We will organize our wedding parties, and you may do whatever you would like,’” says Laura. “So she did and to be honest, it was so unbelievably amazing, we were so happy to be invited.”
TEAMWORK
Fast-forward to 2011. Greg and Laura, still as giddy-in-love as they were as newlyweds, continue to center their lives around triathlon. With winters in Greg’s native Australia and summers in Boulder, Colo., the two serve as each other’s coach, training partner, mentor, and No. 1 fan. They get up together (by 5:30 every morning without setting an alarm), train together (about six hours a day), eat together (he cooks, she cleans up) and relax together (usually a movie after dinner, then bed by 8:30). While the Bennetts joke that their life is a lot like “Groundhog Day” during the season, they both thrive off their rigid routine.
“Even if we are doing different workouts, we at least get each other out the door,” says Laura. “We plan our racing season together to make sure we are peaking and breaking at the same time. It would be impossible otherwise.”
Sure, there have been ups and downs in both of their careers (most recently, they each suffered season-stalling injuries in 2009),but by relying on their built-in support system, they’ve been able to overcome the inevitable injury or bad race without letting it diminish their passion for the sport.
“We are definitely a team and we try to the best of our ability to help each other. It’s great to have the understanding and support from each other,” says Greg, adding that he’s picked up on Laura’s pragmatic approach to setbacks. “Laura is a very cool customer. Nothing really fazes her, and her calmness has been very good for me. I’ve become a lot less emotional when injuries or bad performances happen. We’re both very good now at being factual and proactive when stress happens.”
Like the well-oiled machines that they are, Greg and Laura feed off of each other’s strengths and say they’re better competitors because of one another.
“GB and I have brought a lot to each other in the sport,” says Laura. “We’ve both enhanced and fine-tuned each other’s racing. I’ve learned the most from him on a personal level.”
THE ROAD AHEAD
At 36 and 40, respectively, in January, Laura and Greg admit that this is likely their last go at the Olympics. Though Laura is reticent about her post-Olympic plans, Greg hints that they hope to start a family once their careers wind down. He’s also toying with the idea of an Ironman (he and Laura showed prowess at longer form racing by both winning Ironman Augusta 70.3 last April, but neither have raced a full Ironman), and they’re thinking of starting a coaching business. But for now, the couple’s laser-like focus is trained on their London dream.
“I will do my best to earn a spot on the USA Olympic Team with the intent of an Olympic medal,” says Greg. “If this doesn’t happen, I’ll do whatever I can to help Laura and her final goal in the sport…[to] win that bloody gold medal at the London Olympics.”
50 USA TRIATHLON SUMMER 2011
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