Olivia Wimberger is from Shakopee, Minnesota, and is a freshman on the Denver Pioneers women's triathlon team.
 
Wimberger has a swimming background but she enjoys training for multiple disciplines and is transitioning full-time into triathlon with the Pioneers.
 
She made her collegiate debut at the Southern Hills Triathlon super sprint on Aug. 30 in Hot Springs, South Dakota, and participated in her first NCAA sprint two weeks later on Sept. 14 at the Desert's Edge Triathlon near Grand Junction, Colorado.
 
A graduate of Shakopee High School, Wimberger finished sixth in the state of Minnesota in the 100-meter breaststroke in 2024 and placed ninth in the state in the 200-meter individual medley and 200-meter breaststroke in 2023. She also raced for the Aquajets swim club where she earned qualifying times for the National Club Swimming Association in the 100-meter breaststroke, 200-meter breaststroke and 200-meter individual medley.
 
Academically, Wimberger was a four-year Honor Roll recipient and was recognized with the Health Science Academy Award in high school, in addition to being a member of National Honor Society and a Student Council leader at SHS. She is majoring in physiology in health and disease at DU.
 
Wimberger has raced in triathlons since she was 10 years old and is ready to compete at the college level for the Pioneers.
 
Why did you choose the University of Denver?
 
"I chose the University of Denver due to its academics, athletics, location and accessibility. The support of coach Barbara Perkins and the other members of the team truly made my decision so easy."
 
Why Triathlon?
 
"I chose to continue my athletic career in triathlon after swimming since I was 6 due to the opportunity in the sport and my passion for training in multiple disciplines."
 
How did you get involved in Triathlon?
 
"I first got introduced to triathlons when I was very young because my mom was competing in them recreationally. When I was 10, I participated in my first youth triathlon. It was put on by the Pinky Swear Foundation, a local foundation that raises money to help families and children with cancer. I remember it being really cold and rainy and having to put on a long sleeve shirt to bike and run in."
 
What is your goal for this season?        
 
"My goal for this season is to grow my triathlon experience while also increasing my technique to set me up to succeed in the future."
 
What are your plans for the future?     
 
"My plans for the future include becoming a strong team contributor at the national level while also maintaining strong academic success. This will set me up for a career in medicine.
 
What kind of music do you like?
 
"I love country music, but I also enjoy pop and R&B when I am training."
 
Do you have a favorite quote or mantra?
 
"You never lose, you either win or you learn." - Nelson Mandela
 
"I am not sure where I heard it, but it spoke to me and it is always something I keep in the back of my mind."
 
What is your favorite movie(s) and/or TV show(s)?      
 
"My favorite movies are the Extraction series. My favorite shows are anything that is fictional crime or sports related."
 
What is your favorite sport to watch?
 
"I enjoy watching swimming in-person, and I like to watch hockey and basketball on the TV."
 
Do you have a pre-race or training routine?
 
"Pre-race I do some variation of a dynamic warmup that I have had for years, and I listen to either calming music or hype music depending on my nerves. Before practice, I enjoy eating a snack and listening to music or talking with friends."
 
What other sports have you participated in (youth, high school, college, club, etc.)?
 
"I did gymnastics when I was younger, and I played soccer until middle school. I also was on the mountain bike team in middle school, and I have swam on a club team since I was 6."
 
What was swimming for the Aquajets like?
 
"The only words that I can use to describe it are a big chaotic family in the best of ways. I am on the national team and there are about 40 other people who all compete and practice together six-eight times per week year-round. 'Power of the Team' is our team motto, and it is lived out very well through our team pillars of HAPIE: Humility, Accountability, Perseverance, Integrity, and Empathy."
 
Any athletic or academic accomplishments you are particularly proud of?
 
"I am particularly proud of getting my National Club Swimming Association national times in the 100 breast, 200 breast and 200 individual medley. I am also very proud of receiving a Coaches awards both my freshman and senior years of high school swimming."