A little bit about Yu
My fate with endurance sports started my dad taking me on weekend bike rides back when I was 6. I look forward to those 15 mile bike rides every weekend with my dad. My endurance life continued with the monta vista high school cross country team. I was very fortunate in high school to join a cross country team that was extremely awesome. It was coached by Mr. Morris who was the most inspiring person I've ever met. Under his guidance, the varsity team ran and raced like champions and had many epic times. It was during this time I fell in love with endurance sports, as the varsity boys(&some) and my best friends, Simon, Tom, Mike, and Matt shared our passion in running and cycling together. We smashed each other on runs, mountain bike rides, and epic hill climbs. As high school ended, after constant nagging of my dad to try triathlon as well as the need for a change, I thought I'd give triathlon a try.
Giving tri a try
The UCLA Tri team at Wildflower 2012!
My story with triathlon began while I was attending UCLA as an undergraduate mechanical engineer. After years and years of nagging by my dad to give triathlon a try, as well as all the swimming, running, and a little cycling that I've done in high school, I decided to give triathlon a try. I joined the great UCLA Triathlon Club and began learning about the sport that I now love so much. I learned everything about the sport(training, racing, eating, etc) from the legend Brady O'Bryan, now the head coach for UCLA Triathlon Club, and a fellow pro on the racing circuit.
A little more....
I completely fell in love with the sport (head over heels) when I competed in the Vineman 70.3 half ironman July of 2010. The atmosphere of the people, the community, and the vibe that I got while I swam through the lake and biked through the vineyards was what I looking for all my life. Though I prepared minimally for the event(and took a detour in the porta pottie line for 5 min) , I finished with a time of 4:36. It was the turning point in my athletic career, where I started to truly believe I can compete as a professional triathlete. I also knew that from that point on, I would be doing triathlons for the rest of my life.
that magical place called wildflower...
I competed in the Wildflower Long Course in 2011 and fell in love with the race. After three more years of honing my craft, and winning Wildflower 20-24 age group three times in a row, I qualified for my professional license in the spring of 2013 by taking third in the amateur field(22nd including pros). It has been a life long dream and I'm more excited than ever to embark on the next chapter of my athletic journey.
more than triathlon
I recently graduated from Stanford University for my M.S. degree in mechanical engineering. A lot of things change in 2 short years. I thought after I graduate I'd mostly likely pursue a full time career in engineering but I've decided to give triathlon a good go. I'm currently a tutor/teacher at Shareworld Learning Center. Besides triathlons, I love playing music (mainly guitar and piano). I'm always up for a good jam. I also like making short films and videos. I'm from the island of Taiwan and I love fried rice, lots of it, or just good Dimsum in general.
See you around on the racing circuit!
Some random facts about me:
Height: 5' 7.5''
Weight: Any where from 145 to 150lb
Place of Birth: Taipei, Taiwan
Education: UCLA B.S. mechanical engineering, Stanford M.S. mechanical engineering
Languages: Mandarin Chinese, Taiwanese (Min), English, Japanese(little bit), French (enough to survive i think...)
Musical Instrument: Piano, Guitar, Bass, Ukulele
Favorite Bands: Muse, Coldplay, Phoenix
Favorite Food: Any Dimsum, Any fried rice from a good Thai/Vietnam joint.
Favorite Car: Any variant Porsche 911
Favorite Quotes: "Don't fool with fools who'll turn away and keep good company."
Racing Superstitions: Always mix match my socks.
Interesting Skills: Can ride two bikes at once
Future Goals in Triathlon: Top 5 finish at Wildflower and Vineman 70.3. Get under 4:05 for Half Ironman Distance
Challenge Roth, Kona, Ironman Frankfurt.
See you around on the racing circuit!
Some random facts about me:
Height: 5' 7.5''
Weight: Any where from 145 to 150lb
Place of Birth: Taipei, Taiwan
Education: UCLA B.S. mechanical engineering, Stanford M.S. mechanical engineering
Languages: Mandarin Chinese, Taiwanese (Min), English, Japanese(little bit), French (enough to survive i think...)
Musical Instrument: Piano, Guitar, Bass, Ukulele
Favorite Bands: Muse, Coldplay, Phoenix
Favorite Food: Any Dimsum, Any fried rice from a good Thai/Vietnam joint.
Favorite Car: Any variant Porsche 911
Favorite Quotes: "Don't fool with fools who'll turn away and keep good company."
Racing Superstitions: Always mix match my socks.
Interesting Skills: Can ride two bikes at once
Future Goals in Triathlon: Top 5 finish at Wildflower and Vineman 70.3. Get under 4:05 for Half Ironman Distance
Challenge Roth, Kona, Ironman Frankfurt.