Siri Lindley

Siri Lindley, born in 1968 or 1969, is an American triathlon coach, former professional triathlete, public speaker, author, and sports analyst. She came of age as triathlon was growing into a larger international sport, and she reached the top just as the event entered the Olympic program. Her career connects two sides of elite sport: the athlete fighting for world titles and the coach helping others reach championship form.

Lindley grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, as an athletic and shy child. At Greenwich High School she played field hockey, ice hockey, and lacrosse, then continued all three at the varsity level at Brown University. She graduated with a degree in psychology, a background that fits naturally with the mental side of racing and coaching. After college, she spent two years coaching field hockey and lacrosse, first at Princeton University and then at Lehigh University.

Her start in triathlon was not polished. In 1992, she entered her first triathlon without much prior knowledge or training in swimming, while working 60-hour weeks at a local YMCA in Worcester, Massachusetts. By 1996 she was racing on the ITU World Cup circuit, and by 1999, under coach Jack Ralston, she was regularly finishing in the top 10. In 2000, when triathlon made its first appearance in the Olympic program, Lindley aimed for the U.S. Olympic team. She finished third at the Olympic Trials in Dallas and traveled to Sydney as an alternate.

After that disappointment, Lindley changed her training and joined Brett Sutton’s squad at the suggestion of Loretta Harrop. Soon afterward, she placed second at the 2000 ITU Duathlon World Championships. In 2001, she won six consecutive ITU World Cup races, became ITU Triathlon World Champion, won the ITU Aquathlon World Championships, and finished the year ranked the top female ITU triathlete in the world. In 2002, she kept the No. 1 ranking and repeated as winner of the ITU Triathlon World Cup series. She retired from racing after that year to pursue what she considered her true calling: coaching.

As a coach, Lindley worked with Olympic and Ironman athletes and champions, including Susan Williams, Mirinda Carfrae, Leanda Cave, and Sarah True. She coached Williams to an Olympic bronze medal in 2004, Carfrae to three Ironman World Championships and a 70.3 World Championship in 2007, and Cave to both an Ironman World Championship and a 70.3 World Championship in 2012. Lindley was selected for the inaugural ITU Hall of Fame class in 2014, and later entered the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame, the Boulder Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, and the World Triathlon Hall of Fame.

Lindley has also written Surfacing: From the Depths of Self-Doubt to Winning Big and Living Fearlessly, worked as a television sports analyst, and spoken publicly, including through Carter Global Speakers and engagements with Tony Robbins. With her spouse, former professional triathlete Rebekah Keat, she co-founded Believe Ranch and Rescue, a nonprofit focused on rescuing horses from slaughter. In 2019, Lindley was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, took part in a clinical trial at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and the next year was declared cancer-free. Her words carry weight because they come from training, setbacks, illness, service, and reinvention. As one of her quotes says, “Everything you're going through is preparing you for what you asked for.”