BOULDER, Colo. — Boulder, Colorado has no shortage of runners. But, in a town full of athletes, there can only be one Dede.
Dede Griesbauer spends 30 grueling hours a week training, as she begins her 19th pro season as a triathlete, the world's oldest one.
"Doesn't have to feel good just has to serve it's purpose," she said.
Well past the age when most athletes retire, Dede still welcomes the pain while enjoying the process.
"What we do is so hard and doing it at 53 is insane, like if you could see me get out of bed in the morning, you'd be like, 'Why is she still a professional athlete?'" she said.
Nothing can slow her down, not even mother nature.
"It's crazy like literally ten minutes ago it was sunny and we could see the flatirons," said Julie Dibens, as she watches Dede sprinting through a snow squall.
Julie has been coaching Dede for the last seven years. Now she's watching her plunge into history.
"What she's trying to do, continuing to race professionally at 53, she's the first one that's ever done that," said Dibens. "She's been able to maintain, which for her is not enough cause she wants to continue to progress and get faster and we have seen progression in some areas."
Dede said swimming has always been her anchor.
"I was a sporty kid," she said. "I learned to swim when I was I think 3?"
She became a three-time NCAA champion while swimming for Stanford, but she graduated wanting more.
"I was close to making the '92 Olympic team, I was like, why do I have to stop?" said Dede.
She tried again for the '94 Olympic team and when she didn't make it, she retired from swimming and went to grad school.
"I was supposed to be studying for finals in business school and I was a little burnt out and I turned on the tv and I saw the Ironman," she said. "I was like, 'I have got to try that.'"
As Dede was exploring a new passion, she was also discovering love.
"It's amazing to see her out there racing, both 20 years ago and almost more impressively now at her age," said her husband Dave Griesbauer.
"We thought it would be something kind of cool to say you did and now it's turned into a life," he said.
Dave was by Dede's side when decided to quit her 8-year-long career on Wall Street to become a professional triathlete.
"People started paying me to ride a bike. They're like, 'Here's some money and here's this beautiful bicycle, will you ride it?' and I'm like, 'Yes,'" said Dede.
But, there can always be setbacks.
"I had a terrible near-career ending crash in 2011," said Dede.
"We had doctors in Boston telling her that she would never run again, she would be lucky to walk again," said Dave.
She proved the doctors wrong, and is still claiming titles, including three Ironman wins and her biggest accomplishment, happened recently.
"I set the world record for Ultraman at Ultraman Florida in 2020, which was exciting because I've never had a world record before," said Dede.
Then in 2022, she became Ultraman World Champion.
"I think that kind of persistence and determination to finally get that title is super satisfying," she said. "I think women who are turning 40 as professional triathletes might say, 'Well, Dede’s 53 and still doing this so if I wanna do this another two or three years, let’s go for it.'"
Dede has reached the top of her game, but that doesn't mean she's done with the sport.
"We've joked that she's raced one more year probably about six or seven years," said Dave. "It's like, 'Well, I'll just race one more year. I'll just race one more year.'"
Dede said as long as she still has a team of support behind her, and she can physically keep up, she'll keep going.
"I think I'm proving what might be possible and breaking stereotypes on aging and sport," she said. "I won my first World Championship title at 52, which is unusual."
Dede became a professional triathlete at the age of 35, proving it's never too late to pursue your passion.
She's also a coach, and helps support the development of young elite athletes.
Her next race is the Ironman 70.3 Campeche on March 17th. Then, her first full Ironman of the year will be on May 5th in Australia. She will also be competing in her first Race Across America (RAAM) in June.
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