Not many people can complete a triathlon. Even fewer can make it to the end of an Ironman.
Our most recent collaboration is with Ironman athlete and community-tri leader, Kent Ohori. Kent is a person with a whole lotta feel-good energy. He doesn't climb mountains so that the world can see him, he climbs mountains so that that he can see the world.
For thirty odd years we’ve questioned convention and positioned ourselves against the ordinary – it’s at the heart of everything we do. We like to team up with like-minded thinkers and support them on whatever mission they’re on. It just so happens that our mission is highly caffeinated and gives people the boost they need to perform incredible things. So teaming up with Kent was an easy setup.
In March 2024, a few kgs of Browns Mill Organic and some Iced Specialty Coffee helped Kent and his incredible community of 30+ athletes get through the gruelling Ironman triathlon in Mooloolaba. For some, it was their first ever triathlon. For others, an opportunity to reach new limits and smash PBs.
We sat down to talk to Kent to chat about his journey to becoming a sub-nine-hour ironman athlete and building a community coaching club that’s become like church on a Sunday.
AP: How did you start out – have you always been an athlete?
Kent: No way, exercise was something that got me through a really dark time in my life. I used training, community connection, and the power of a simple brew to build what Rebound is known for today.
AP: Tell us about your journey to becoming a sub-nine-hour Ironman athlete
Kent: I raced my second ever Ironman at the World Championships in Kona last year and this year MY NUMBER 1 GOAL was to achieve a sub-9-hour race. It’s been a 2.5 year journey from when I did my first Ironman to finally crack the 9 hour mark.
There’s been a lot I’ve learnt about the sport and myself along the way, here’s a few of them:
One of the biggest things I realised is that your body composition DOES NOT define your capability as as an age group triathlete. It’s easy to compare yourself to others who may be slimmer and ‘LOOK’ faster but trust me, sometimes the size of the engine you’ve built is more important than how it looks
That discipline and determination trumps talent. All you need is to consistently put in the work and trust the process. I have no talent and have never been great at any of the three disciplines but I’ve put in a lot of work to get to my fitness level.
When I first got into the sport at the end of 2020, I honestly believed that I would never get under 9 hours. It seemed like such an unattainable goal that I wasn’t capable of but HERE WE ARE.
AP: Run clubs are popping up everywhere. With Rebound you not only have incredible sponsors, but a fast-growing tri community across Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. What’s your secret to creating Rebound’s church like following?
Kent: It’s taken 2 years to get to this point. It started from not really having much of a plan, just me trying to promote the mental and physical health benefits exercise and community can have, to where we are now, working with some of the biggest brands in the exercise space.
I'm proud to say we have fostered an authentic and caring culture that is at the core about 'feeling good’. We don’t have an elitist mindset and wherever we can, we try to break down that wall. I think that 'feel good' energy we harness is contagious and people want to be a part of something, a supportive community now more than ever.
The majority of our community are not professional athletes, we have lives outside of exercise. Exercise is a way to keep a healthy balance so it needs to be fun. Even with training and racing, less pressure, more support and encouragement. Our community is great at supporting each other through the ups and downs and as a whole, we become better versions of ourselves through the process!
I am fortunate enough to have built up a very mixed bag of skills and experiences that I have gained throughout my 20’s which helps provide a unique offering that no other in the triathlon space is doing.
AP: We heard whispers you are riding across Japan next year... coffee on board of course. Any truth to these rumours?
Kent: Who said that? All I know is that when playing around with the Allpress Café Finder app, I found heaps of cool cafés all across Japan to stop at. Would be interesting to see how many of these cafés you could ride past from Kagoshima all the way East to Tokyo... and how quickly.
AP: The Ironman event is something we are super proud to be involved with. This Fourth Leg concept is new to us and the Ironman team we heard. Tell us more – can we look forward to this in Noosa later this year?
Kent: The fourth leg is our very own afterparty bringing endurance athletes the leg they've all been missing. In a triathlon you swim (leg 1), ride (leg 2) and run (leg 3), before completing an event.
Being a part of the space for a little while now, we always felt like the post race celebrations were lacking. We decided to make our own afterparty coined the fourth leg because who said endurance athletes don't have the stamina to go all day?
Our first Fourth Leg event was at Mooloolaba, offering athletes special recovery cocktails, access to recovery equipment, a DJ playing all the feel good tunes and much more. Allpress Espresso Martini’s anyone?
More details on Noosa Tri Fourth Leg event to come. Follow us on Instagram @reboundclub to keep updated.
