Angie Keen Warrior Wonder

Angie on the Warrior bike course at Lalomanu PHOTO ScottieTPhoto

It’s the year of the Wonder Woman. For the first time, a woman is the overall champion of the Samoa Warrior Race.
Angie Keen, 29, of Wellington beat all others in a fast time to be the overall champion at Lalomanu.

It was a brutal race at a stunning location on the south east coast of Upolu, Samoa. 

"That was the hardest Half Ironman race I have done, no two ways about it," Keen said after her victory. 

The heat was the critical factor. Good management of that variable is crucial to a good Warrior race. 

Angie crossed the line 17mins ahead of Tony Streifler in second place but it did not all go her way. She was first out of the water at 26mins flat then led the first two laps of the bike course but surrendered it to Vince Sesto of Victoria.

Cramps and not arriving in Samoa until a few hours before the race then  played havoc with Sesto’s system to shut it down.

But by then Angie had clawed her way back to recapture second spot, and the first spot before the first lap of the Half Marathon was done.

Her time is the fastest Half Iron time outside the Pros of the first two years.

"For once I did not push myself toward the end. I did that once and I suffered for weeks after the race." 

She is on her way to represent NZ at the Worlds in Canada and the Warrior Race was her prepping space.
She termed the Warrior Race “Brutal”.

It’s a compliment on the course at Lalomanu. Hard and Hard but rewarding when done.

She will now spend a few more days on the islands for the Samoa Swim Series and race the 10km at Le Lava Half next weekend.

She said she is coming back. Warrior is a Wonder, a brutal but brilliant battle.
 
Angie Keen
Warrior Champion 2017
Swim 2km, 30mins 
Bike 90km, 2:34:38
​Run 21km, 2:20:34 
Time, 5:25:12