(Sparta, Greece) – On 11/04-06/2022, Ciely Daly of Lander participated in the 2022 Spartan Trifecta World Championship. Held annually, this is a trifecta of races and obstacle courses that tests speed, agility, endurance, and time in three races consisting of the Spartan Sprint (5k & 20 obstacles), the Spartan Super (10k & 25 obstacles), and the Spartan Beast (21k & 30 obstacles).
Ciely had planned a trip to Europe following graduation from Wyoming Catholic College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts. When she learned that the Spartan Trifecta World Championship would coincide with this trip, she registered for it. Ciely took silver in the Sprint, gold in the Super, and gold in the Beast. This score made her the trifecta world championship for females aged 18-24 for 2022! She credits part of her success to a competitor that ran a close race just behind her in the Beast.
To participate in the world championship, an athlete must first participate in a qualifying trifecta first, which Ciely did in Ta’Qali, Malta this past October. However, her passion for athletics goes much further back. She was raised on Vashon Island, Washington where there were plenty of trees to climb, fields to run through and forests to explore. WCC starts incoming freshmen with a 21-day backpacking trip that Ciely truly loved.
Building on that, she became an instructor or co-instructor in backpacking, winter camping, ice climbing, caving, rock climbing, and whitewater kayaking. During the summers, she worked for a Lander-based trail crew maintaining backcountry, backpacking through rough terrain and hauling heavy loads. Concurrently she also ran distance for exercise. Before graduation, she ran the Lander’s Challenge for Charities half marathon twice, and ran her first full marathon shortly before leaving for Europe. Obstacle racing tied all these things together. Ciely ran her first Spartan Sprint 5k in Koenig Gravel, Michigan this past July.
Regarding her motivation, Ciely said, “I wasn’t just running for myself. I’m running to raise $3,000 for pregnancy resource centers that help women facing unplanned pregnancies. Additionally, I have a strong faith in God, and a love for history, so running through such a special place with such specific goals made it easier to take things one step at a time and push through pain.”
Ciely also said there are too many individuals to count to which she owes much gratitude, but outstanding among them are the staff at Wyoming Catholic College and COR Expeditions, her mentors, and her workout partners who have pushed her to get stronger and taught her new skills. She also wants to make special mention of the families in Wyoming, Italy, and Greece who “adopted” her along this journey, her own supportive family and God who gives her strength. (Habakkuk 3:19)
What is next for Ciely? She is currently looking for new challenges both at home and abroad. She is considering the single-race championships for Spartan coming up in Abu Dhabi in December, but is still looking for a sponsor. Other possibilities include an ultra or a half-Ironman. She says God will reveal these things in due time!
To learn more about Wyoming Catholic College please go to https://wyomingcatholic.edu/. To learn more about the Spartan Trifecta races, please go to https://www.spartan.com/. If you would like to contribute to Ciely’s fundraiser, or offer future race sponsorships, details are available on Ciely’s FaceBook and Instagram @cjd_adventuress. She’s currently at 35% of her fundraiser goal.