At the Rio Games in August, Chloe Esposito became the first Australian to win Olympic gold in the modern pentathlon, breaking a world record while she did it, but the 25-year-old insists you don't have to be a natural to win.
"I loved sport, I just didn't have the natural talent," says Esposito. "I never won any of the races in primary school or high school and I think I made nationals once in primary school, but never in high school for swimming or running or anything. I didn't win much."
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The City2Sea fun-run is back again
The countdown to Melbourne's most picturesque and colourful fun-run is on, with the Sunday Age City2Sea presented by Westpac back for its sixth year.
Instead, Esposito, who is running in the Fairfax sponsored City2Sea on November 20, believes that effort, more than ability, begets reward.
"To get where I have, I just had to work damn hard for it. I had to do double the amount of work as everyone else," says Esposito, who first tried to qualify for the Olympics as a 15-year-old.
"A lot of the swimmers in pentathlon – they'd swim four or five times a week and swim three kilometres a session, whereas I would have to do five times a week, six kilometres each session."
Along with effort, Esposito believes she has a trait which gives her – and anyone who has it – an edge: tenacity.
"Dad saw something in me that other people didn't," Esposito says of her father, coach and former Olympian, Daniel. "He always said he saw a bit of mongrel in me – just [because of] how hard I worked.
"I can be a drama queen at times... but when it comes time to work, I know what I have to do and push my body to the next level."
![Chloe Esposito will be running 15 kilometres on behalf of Westpac at this year's City2Sea.](/web/20161112145055im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/i/t/h/k/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gskhub.png/1478650376310.jpg)
Pushing herself, while training for the Olympics, involved five two-hour swimming sessions, about 70 kilometres of running, three shooting sessions as well as fencing and horse riding training each week.
She never enjoyed the monotony of "staring at that black line and the chlorine" during swimming training, but thrives off the endorphin hit of running.
![Chloe Esposito became Australia's first medalist in modern pentathlon at Rio.](/web/20161112145055im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/x/8/g/q/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gskhub.png/1478650376310.jpg)
"I enjoy the pain of running, it's a good feeling," she explains. "It's beating those goals and, at the end of the week, saying, 'it was hard, but I did it'."
Since returning from Rio, Esposito, who is back in the family home in Sydney's south-west suburb of Camden, has tapered off.
![Chloe Esposito during the fencing on her way to winning gold in the modern pentathlon.](/web/20161112145055im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/x/8/h/6/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gskhub.png/1478650376310.jpg)
She is doing "just a bit of running", about 10 kilometres, three times a week, as well as an intensive 45-minute workout called F45.Â
"It's something completely different to what I'm used to, which I love," says Esposito, who is marrying her project manager fiance in February and who plans to compete in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
![Chloe Esposito plans to relax and enjoy herself during City2Sea.](/web/20161112145055im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/i/t/h/h/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gskhub.png/1478730023491.jpg)
But the next focus for the athlete, who has become a sought-after motivational speaker since returning to Australia, is the 15-kilometre City2Sea on November 20 in Melbourne.
"It won't be easy, I'm just going to do it at my own pace and not rush it or try to impress anyone," Esposito says.
"More the reason I want to do it is to help people along and inspire people and run with people."
Tips for City2Sea runners
Esposito, who is leading a warm-up and stretching session before starting the race gun, advises against changing anything this close to the race.Â
"Don't start running, keep it simple, eat the same and wear something comfortable – don't change your running shoes," says Esposito, who is to support Westpac Foundation, which raises money for non-for-profit organisations.
She is not a big fan of energy gels, but recommends staying "well hydrated" with water and having a banana or your normal breakfast a couple of hours before you race.
Esposito, along with fellow Olympian Mack Horton, is taking a free training run on Thursday, November 10, from Virgin Active on Bourke St in Melbourne. For more details and to register, see:Â facebook.com/events/1636504023314316/