As a member of the first recruiting class of Barbara Perkins and the University of Denver women's triathlon team, Olivia Ebenstein has seen the Pioneers grow over the last four years.
 
The now-DU graduate first joined the program after the team's inaugural season—which was delayed to spring 2021 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic—and leaves with Denver established as one of the top competitors in the sport, with top-five team finishes in each national championship they have participated in.
 
"I've seen so much change while I was here. I think the biggest change is the Canadians, so many Canadians," Ebenstein joked. "I feel like the more Canadians came, the better the team got, just friendship-wise, performance-wise. Otherwise, I feel like I kind of grew with the program, with the ups and downs of it, and learned what it takes to be an athlete on this team."
 
Jokes aside, Denver went from having no international student-athletes when Ebenstein was a freshman in 2021-22 to having four such triathletes this past season, all from the United States' neighbor up north. The athletes coming south of the border elevated the talent level and pushed the entire squad to get better.
 
For Ebenstein, she owns the program record with 10 top-10 finishes in her career and earned a pair of All-American awards at the 2021 and 2022 Collegiate National Championships. Those top-15 placements helped her earn her "pro card" and be able to compete in various World Triathlon races across the globe, which she took full advantage of in summer 2023 and 2024.
 
"I think it's been really cool coming in here with hopes of going pro and racing internationally and actually making it happen," Ebenstein said. "Was lucky enough to kind of travel throughout Europe and South America and really experience pro-level races, which was a big goal of mine coming in."
 
Ebenstein might have been short on free time at Denver with her commitments to the team and her schooling. The Pioneers would do two-a-day practices on most week days—swimming in the morning and then running or biking in the afternoon—and would also add several weight lifting session in there as well. Weekends were filled with long runs and bike rides.
 
After and between trainings, the East Setauket, New York, native was occupied studying for her major in physiology and minors in chemistry, physics and international studies. The work was recognized as she was twice named a National Academic All-American.
 
"At the time I wanted to pursue athletics at a higher level, and it was a great opportunity to have the best of both worlds, getting my education while doing athletics and having a training group to do it with it," Ebenstein said of why she chose to travel across the country and attend Denver. "It was very different from home; I would train a lot at home by myself. I was just looking forward to having the opportunity to be with like-minded people in a very triathlon-friendly state."
 
Her senior season in fall 2024 saw Ebenstein lead the squad as a team captain and earn her first career podium with a third-place result in the Southern Hills Triathlon Super Sprint. She also represented the Pioneers at a fourth national championships, with last year's event being trickier as it was held across two days due to water conditions from a recent Hurricane in Florida.
 
Last season's nationals was her final collegiate triathlon, and Ebenstein admitted there was a lot of emotion around that race.
 
"Unfortunately, I would have liked to go out better, but to cross the finish line and to have my teammates there and to have my parents there, and all of the teams and all the laughing, I think it made it worth it to give them all hugs," she said. "I wouldn't want to be at a finish line with anyone else."
 
What Ebenstein says she'll remember the most as a Pioneer will be the bonds she formed with her teammates, the road trips and flights to meets across the U.S. and all the silly moments in between.
 
"Being in Airbnb's together and just kind of making the trip a lot of fun," Ebenstein recalled. "Whether we're all piled up on a bunk bed or playing games the night before the race, I think those are some of the best memories. And celebrating when we've done well, that was always fun. Just having the opportunity to live with my teammates. I think I've made a lot of lifelong friendships from just being on this team."
 
Ebenstein earned her Bachelor of Science degree from DU in June, but she's not done yet with college. Far from it, actually.
 
She aims to one day be a doctor and is heading to New York University this fall to earn her master's degree in global health. In a perfect world, she'll be taking the MCAT in early 2026 and then start medical school in 2027.
 
"That's the goal. I have a lot of school ahead of me," she said.
 
She will also take part in NYU's athletic program, as she'll race on the Division-III cross country and track team in 2025-26 as a fifth-year student-athlete.
 
"Lots of running," Ebenstein said. "Just one-third of the triathlon aspect."
 
While she might be taking a bit of break in the interim from triathlon, Ebenstein says the sport will "always be part of my life," as she'll probably continue to race in the future either competitively or just for fun.
 
She will also always be a part of Denver history as a member of the first triathlon recruiting class and joined fellow 2025 graduate Avarie Faulkner as the first student-athletes that spent all of their time with the program.
 
There is a lot of gratitude from both her and the team on the past four years, and both parties will certainly be keeping close tabs on each other's success in the future.
 
"Looking four years later and seeing that I kind of stuck through it, I think there is a lot of pride that we can take in it," Ebenstein said. "Just kind of being part of that first class and being one of the first main classes to graduate with hopefully many graduating classes after us to come."