Sports
Yana and Luca Glaser: The Sisters' Path to Kona
Curitiba triathlon pioneers reflect on starting in the 1990s, finishing Hawaii together, and returning to racing after motherhood.
With more than two decades in endurance sports, sisters Yana and Luca Glaser share the story of their triathlon upbringing in Brazil, crossing the Kona finish line together, and returning to competition as mothers.
Brazilian triathlon in the late 1990s was an entirely different world from today. Without social media, advanced GPS watches, or fast-absorbing energy gels, sisters Luca Glaser and Yana Glaser from Curitiba began navigating the sport as young children, at a time when hardly anyone truly understood what combining swimming, cycling, and running on the same day entailed.
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Roots in Curitiba and Grassroots Development
Their story began in 1999 at the now-defunct Aqua Center gym, encouraged by Edgar, the then-president of the Paraná Triathlon Federation. Luca was nine years old when she joined the swimming school, but she quickly fell in love with the multisport format. Three years younger, Yana followed her sister to competitions, trading ballet slippers for the asphalt. By age 12, they were traveling solo across Brazil by bus and plane to compete in youth championships and logging bike miles on busy highways like BR-277.
Their athletic development led both sisters to standout experiences. Luca went on to train at the Brazilian Triathlon Confederation's national training center in Barra do Jucu (Espírito Santo), rooming with Pâmela Oliveira under coach Cata Preta, and took part in the Olympic youth development program at the Beijing 2008 Games. Meanwhile, Yana built a successful career in long-course racing, capturing national and Pan American Long Distance titles.
The Road to the Kona World Championship and a Historic Finish
The quest to qualify for the Ironman World Championship in Kona brought intense chapters. In 2013, Luca secured her first qualification for the Hawaiian island and finished the race at age 22, braving the fierce crosswinds of Hawi. Yana, meanwhile, overcame serious medical setbacks and grueling qualifying races—such as the demanding Ironman Muskoka in Canada—before earning her spot.
The pinnacle of their partnership came in 2016, when both lined up together at the World Championship in Hawaii. After mechanical issues and flat tires during the bike leg, they reunited at the transition to the marathon. They ran the 26.2-mile course side by side, crossing the iconic finish line locked in an embrace wearing matching kits, marking one of the most memorable moments in Brazilian women's triathlon history.
From Foil-Wrapped Potatoes to 120g of Carbohydrates
Their elite-level background fueled both sisters' professional careers. Yana earned a degree in Sports Nutrition to better understand her own metabolic demands and witnessed a generational shift in race fueling strategies. While early Ironmans relied on mini rolls with Nutella and mashed potatoes wrapped in foil, current sports science supports intakes of 90g to 120g of carbohydrates per hour using optimized glucose-fructose blends and tailored electrolyte plans.
Luca transitioned into communications and sports marketing, founding an agency specialized in the athletic ecosystem that serves coaching groups and endurance events nationwide.
Motherhood and Returning to Competition
After achieving impressive career milestones—including a sub-10-hour finish by Luca at Ironman Brazil 2017 (9:49)—both sisters paused high-volume training for motherhood. Luca is the mother of Maíra and Enrico, while Yana has two children, Nina and Joaquim.
The hiatus, however, did not mark the end of their endurance journeys. Now living in Portugal, Yana returned to racing at Ironman 70.3 Cascais, earning a spot at the 70.3 World Championship in Nice. Luca returned to the start line on home turf at the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Curitiba in Barigui Park, cementing a legacy of endurance athletic longevity spanning over two and a half decades.
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