There are athletes who are impossible not to cheer for. And Gavin Ketola is one of them.

If you haven’t heard of him yet, it’s time to get to know Gavin Ketola. A member of Foley Athletics (coached by Trevor Foley), Ketola placed second overall at Ironman Texas earlier this year, and then went on to take the overall victory in the last two races he entered: the Ironman 70.3 North American Championship in Happy Valley, and Ironman Lake Placid.

We caught up with him at the Lake Placid finish line and immediately wanted to learn more about his story.

 

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Getting to Know Gavin Ketola

When we sat down with Ketola, the first thing we wanted to know was how it’s all possible: how he juggles working in the concrete industry with what could easily be considered professional-level performance in triathlon, despite still competing in the amateur ranks.

“I will look to go pro eventually, for sure,” Ketola clarified. “But first my goal is continuing to develop at this level…and I would love to take the overall age-group win in Kona. That’s really my biggest dream for this year.”

So how does he do it?

“Sometimes, it’s a 3:30am wake-up,” Ketola shared. “My friends joke that I live like a monk, but this is what I love…I work and swim, bike, run, day after day. I’m fully devoted.”

Ketola is not someone who grew up swimming, yet he posted a 28:40 swim in Happy Valley (1:30/100m) and an impressive 56:21 (1:29/100m) in Lake Placid. So how has he managed to become one of the strongest swimmers in the amateur ranks?

“I swim seven days a week,” Ketola said. “I was initially swimming four days, then five, then six, and now seven. Honestly, I’ve really found that putting in the mileage has gotten me far. Folks think it’s all about technique, or that you have to grow up a swimmer…for me, it’s largely been about the willingness to swim every single day.”

While his swim certainly keeps him in contention with the front of the race, Ketola is best known for his bike strength. In Texas, he set an AG course record of 4:14, then backed it up by posting the 11th and 12th fastest bike splits of any contender (pro or amateur) in the two races he recently won.

Ketola shared that one of the keys to developing his bike strength has been joining his coach, Trevor Foley, and Foley’s pro training partners for off-season training camps. As he put it, if he can hang onto these guys’ wheels, he knows his fitness is in a pretty good spot.

And as for the run? He clocked a 1:22 half marathon in Happy Valley and a 3:03 marathon in Lake Placid, securing the overall victory there by more than 16 minutes. Yes the bike is his forte, but he’s undeniably a complete athlete.

Kona Goals and When He Plans to Go Pro

Of course, the question on our minds was when this blossoming star plans to make the leap into the professional ranks.

“I’d love to make the leap when I’m ready to finish among those making prize money,” Ketola said. “I’m proud of how far I’ve come, but there’s a ways to go to be competitive with the very top of the sport.

For now, all of his focus is on Kona.

He’s currently amidst a 10-week push toward the Ironman World Championship, where he’ll have the chance to test himself against the world’s best age-group athletes. As he said: “Really excited to test myself against the best, I feel I can content and I would like to show it!”

 

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Ketola has also recently taken on a coaching role with Foley Athletics, a full-circle moment considering he was the very first athlete to join the team.

“When I started, I was an 11-hour Ironman and a five-hour 70.3 athlete,” he shared. “With Trevor’s coaching, I’ve progressed to a 8:23 Ironman and a four-hour 70.3. Now I’m excited to help other athletes experience that same progression.”

Balancing a full-time job in construction with elite-level training has given him a perspective many age-group athletes can relate to. His goal as a coach is simple: help busy athlete stay consistent, believe in what’s possible, and discover what they’re capable of.