UM-Flint DPT student Sia Hayes to compete in World Triathlon Championships

Training to compete on the world stage requires extraordinary commitment. So does earning a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.

University of Michigan-Flint DPT student Athanasia "Sia" Hayes isn't choosing between the two. She's doing both, balancing the demands of running, cycling and swimming with the rigors of graduate study as she prepares to represent Team USA at the 2026 World Triathlon Age-Group Championships in Pontevedra, Spain, this month.

"Competing on Team USA is something I never imagined I would be able to do," Hayes said. "I'm so excited and grateful to have the opportunity to go abroad to compete in a sport that has been such a big part of my life for the past decade."

Hayes, a third-year DPT student in the College of Health Sciences, will compete Sept. 26 in the standard, or Olympic, distance race. The event includes a 1-mile swim, 40-kilometer bike ride and 10-kilometer run.

To qualify, Hayes first earned a spot at the USA Triathlon National Championships by finishing in the top 15% of her 20-24 age group at a USA Triathlon-sanctioned race. She then finished among the top 18 competitors at the national championships, earning a place on Team USA.

Triathlon has long been a family affair for Hayes. Introduced to the sport by her father about a decade ago, she began competing alongside him in sprint- and Olympic-distance races in 2017. Her mother joined them four years later.

Training for an international competition while completing the DPT program requires Hayes to tailor her workouts to her class schedule. With that in mind, the Grand Blanc native aims for two swim workouts, two to three bike workouts and three running workouts each week.

Jennifer Blackwood, professor and director of the Department of Physical Therapy at UM-Flint, said Hayes' accomplishment reflects the qualities she brings to the program and will carry into her career.

"(Her) accomplishment reflects the quality of person that Sia is: hardworking, dedicated and humble," Blackwood said. "Undoubtedly, this experience and the dedicated training that Sia has put into it will lay the foundation for what she will one day bring to each patient she serves as a future physical therapist, with an unwavering drive to improve and succeed. The whole PT Department is proud of Sia, and we will be cheering her on from a distance."

Hayes' week in Pontevedra runs Sept. 22-27 and includes the Parade of Nations with participating athletes Sept. 23, before the competition Sept. 26.

"It's an honor to be able to compete alongside so many hardworking and dedicated athletes and I know this is an experience I will never forget," Hayes said.