Santiago Assunção's Journey: From Amateur to Triathlon Elite

Still a teenager, at just 15 years old, his passion led him on an unforgettable adventure: he took a bus alone from Descalvado (SP) to Santos to watch the 1996 Santos International Triathlon, an event featuring legends like Mark Allen, Mike Pigg, and Lothar Leder. "I was there, man, amazed. I have a photo with King Law, who won that race," he recalls.

Transition to Professionalism and Pão de Açúcar's Support

At 16, in 1996, Santiago won the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in the Dominican Republic. The trip, financed by community mobilization and crucial support from the company Kero, represented a turning point. The victory opened doors for a sponsorship with local Nestlé, which paid him 250 reais per month – a significant amount at the time for an athlete at the start of his career.

In 1997, already competing in the Troféu Brasil, Santiago faced the difficulties of lining up with professional athletes like Oscar Galindez and Armando Barcelos. After a few challenging stages, he found his rhythm, and in the last stage of the year, a sprint with Armando Barcelos caught the attention of Hélio Takai, agent for the Pão de Açúcar triathlon team. "That's when I received the invitation to join the team as a rising star, alongside Gisele Bertutti," Santiago recounts, revealing that the opportunity came with a salary of one thousand reais and ten airline tickets. "That's when I said: now it's my turn!"

he emphasizes,

highlighting the importance of this support at a time when sponsorship was much harder to obtain

without the ease of social media and with projects being sent by mail.

Balancing Sport, Studies, and Life

Santiago passed the entrance exam for the Federal University of Goiás in 2000, and this decision to study was crucial. "At that time, at 20 years old, I had to make this choice: continue studying, because in Brazil, if you don't have an education, you'll starve," he explains, distinguishing the Brazilian reality from that of foreign athletes who can dedicate themselves exclusively to sports without the same risk. In 2002, with more athletic maturity, he took a leave of absence from college for a period and won the Troféu Brasil Championship for the first time.

The Challenges of Ironman and Epic Rivalries

The transition to longer distances, especially Ironman, came with time. His first full Ironman was in 2009 in Arizona, where he finished eighth with a marathon time of 2h48. In 2010, he debuted at Ironman Brazil, achieving an impressive third place, with Luke McKenzie winning the race. "It's a different sport today, with a lot of evolution in equipment, nutrition, and times," he reflects on the changes in the sport.

Santiago shares two Ironman races that deeply marked him. In 2012, at Ironman Brazil, he led until kilometer 38 of the marathon when he was overtaken by Ezequiel Morales. "It was tough; it was the first time a Brazilian could have won the Ironman here," he recalls, attributing part of the difficulty to a calf injury that prevented him from running training for a month before the race. Then, in 2014, the duel was with Igor Amorelli, a mental and physical battle to the finish. "At kilometer 32, my quadriceps couldn't take it anymore. I asked a friend in the crowd for salt, and at 36, I started to feel good again, but Igor had already pulled ahead. It was traumatic," he confesses, revealing that 2014 was his last full Ironman.

From Athlete to Entrepreneur: The Success of Santi Treinos

The Santi Treinos consultancy was born organically in 2005, shortly after his graduation. The first student was Eduardo Custódio, a friend who encouraged him to apply his knowledge. "Things grew from one person to another until, by 2006, we already had seven athletes for Ironman here," he says. Today, Santi Treinos has 10 to 11 coaches, all former athletes or professionals in the field.

Santiago attributes the success and longevity of his consultancy to consistency, a value he learned in sports. "From the moment I committed to coaching someone, it never crossed my mind to take a break or ease up. Things kept happening; I kept bringing in more people," he explains. He emphasizes the importance of reinventing oneself, adapting to the transition from analog to digital, and always having a team present at races like Ironman, with uniforms and photographers. "Consistency is non-negotiable, just as I practice in sports, which I've been doing for 32 years without interruption," he states, revealing that the only time he took a triathlon vacation was for four days in a Canadian winter of -16 degrees.

Legacy and the Evolution of the Sport

Santiago's passion for the sport is reflected in his son, Lu, who is also pursuing triathlon and plans to go professional after the Nice World Championship. "It's great to see his dedication. I chose to let him train with coach Frank to separate the roles of father and coach, which is much easier now," he shares proudly.

Analyzing the evolution of triathlon, Santiago emphasizes the impact of technology on equipment, such as bikes and apparel, and especially on nutrition. "In 2006, in a half Ironman, I used 100g of carbohydrates over 4 hours. Today, some use that per hour!" He explains that optimizing carbohydrate absorption allows athletes to train and recover better, resulting in increasingly faster times. "The human being is the same, but what comes from the outside, what you fuel yourself with, that has changed a lot. And that improves the ability to do more intense training," he concludes.

To amateurs, Santiago leaves a golden message: "Sport is for life. It's important to have a light touch and, above all, consistency, without injuries. The more often an athlete sticks to their training plan, the better their results will be towards their goal."

Innovation in Running Shoes: Anta Fold H1

In a brief news roundup, the Anta Fold H1 was highlighted, an innovation from the Chinese brand Anta, the world's third-largest running shoe brand. The "Anta Fold" technology uses origami engineering concepts to create structures that deform in a controlled manner, aiming to improve cushioning, stability, and energy return through midsole geometry, not just new materials. This model is the first to be equipped with this technology.