ELLIOT BY THE NUMBERS:
| 18 | number of Ironmans completed |
| 16 | number of years I played the piano (I was seriously legit) |
| 3 | races finished in Linsey Corbin’s cowboy hat |
| 580 | amount paid for Linsey’s cowboy hat at charitable auction |
| 13 | times I’ve hung out with Linsey |
| 22 | average number of weekly hours training for Ironman |
| 10 | number of years I played baseball, competitively |
| 210 | miles cycled on longest single day training ride |
| 22 | years lived in Seattle, Washington |
| 15 | years lived in Tempe, Arizona |
| 226 | average number of days it rains in Seattle |
| 15 | average number of days it rains in Tempe |
| 24 | age I began triathlon |
| 2010 | the year Linsey and Elliot first met |
| 4 | island race count |
I began competing in triathlons in 2009 after spectating and volunteering at Ironman Arizona. I was instantly hooked. I love everything about the sport: the athletes, the competition, and the nerdy tech gear. Iron-distance triathlons appeal to me the most because it’s at these races where I truly feel like I’m pushing my body to its absolute limits. I love “digging deep” and seeing how my body reacts to the race’s harsh demands. As my friend Dan put it:
One of the main reasons I love Ironman is because it imitates life. It peels away all layers of yourself and you find out what you’re made of.
Before triathlon, I was a competitive baseball player. I grew up in Seattle am die-hard Mariners and Seahawks fan. I was a middle infielder for my varsity baseball throughout high school. I played the piano for 16 years and was also lead alto saxophone player for my high school jazz band (yep, I was a huge band geek).
I moved to Arizona for college after living in Washington for 18 years. I graduated with an accounting degree at Arizona State University. At the end of 2018, I moved back to Washington to live closer to my family and move into a beautiful waterfront home with my wife and two pups.
Before 2009, I never swam, bike, or ran. Being completely naive, I
signed up for Ironman in my first year! I trained hard and finished 9th in my age group. From there, I was hooked.
I am a very competitive individual. I have an “all-or-nothing” personality. I want to be the best. Over the past several years I’ve had the privilege of racing the Boston Marathon 3X, 70.3 World Championship, and competing in the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii 3X. My biggest triathlon highlight is becoming an age group champion at Ironman Canada (2014).
I would like to give a special thanks to my family and friends for supporting me along this amazing journey. Triathlon is one of my true passions and I don’t know how I’d live without it in my life.
——-
EK
Elliot Kawaoka 
Elliot, I met you in the parking lot at the Mesa Tri. Just finished the 70.3 in Tempe Sunday. Don’t like my finish but have a story to tell…no excuses. If you have time I’d like to talk to you about some potential training.
Could we meet sometime this week for coffee somewhere?
I work in Chandler but pretty much available anytime that’s good for you.