TJ Tollakson knows what it means to push his body to the limits. Having injuries and setbacks in the heat of training and competition, he has learned to squeeze every ounce of ability out of himself to continue developing into one of the top elite athletes in the sport of triathlon.

The 29-year-old Tollakson finished his 2009 season at the infamous Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii where he placed 32nd in the professional division in a time of 9:06:20. In the run portion of his race, Tollakson dropped an impressive 18 minutes and 53 seconds from the prior year.

Leading up to the championships at the 2009 Ironman Coeur d’Alene, he placed second overall with an 8:42:03 and finished as the highest American. He used his strength on the bike to pass five competitors, and stayed strong the remainder of the race, to have a personal best marathon split (3:00:32).

Coming in second at the Ironman Coeur d’Alene had been a great performance all around and a highlight in Tollakson’s career. On the other extreme, Tollakson knows what it feels like to be battling just to complete a race. In the previous year at the 2008 World Championships in Kona, he cramped up 25 miles into the bike portion of the race, only two hours into an eight-hour race. Fighting through the misery of a bad day in competition, he learned the lengths his body could go to in distress to cross the finish line. He can thank his years of athleticism for that.

Tollakson grew up in Iowa, where he played many sports throughout his childhood. He won 11 varsity athletic letters in high school, receiving numerous honors for cross-country, soccer, swimming, and wrestling. Attending Boston University his freshman year to play soccer, he soon returned to his home state, attending the University of Iowa. It was there that he craved athletic competition and found his way into triathlon, first competing at the Cornman Triathlon in July of 2001.

In 2003 Tollakson decided to dedicate himself to finding out his true potential in the sport. With guidance by experienced coaches in the field, he placed second in his age group at the 2003 World Qualifier, and went on to represent the USA in New Zealand. That year, he had his first ranking from USAT, where he fell eighth in the 20-24 age group.

The year of 2004 proved to be a break-through year for Tollakson as he placed third for his age group and 13th overall at the World Championships. Following that performance, he had overall amateur wins in Memphis, Chicago, and then at the Amateur National Championship. The championship win proved to be a boost in his career, and the performance earned the necessary attention to be invited to join the national select team to train at the Olympic Training Centers in Colorado Springs, CO. Despite an accident in 2005 that fractured his clavicle, he stayed training there through 2006.

Leaving the center and heading back to Des Moines, IA, Tollakson has since continued to rise in the ranks and gain recognition in triathlon. In 2007, he became the Eagleman Ironman 70.3 Champion. Not only winning the race, he set the course record. In his first full Ironman -Ironman Louisville 2007-he placed third overall. Leading up to his Ironman World Championship race in 2008, he was second at the Ironman Arizona in 8:34:36.

Tollakson continues to keep his focus on the upcoming Ironman World Championship. Viewing the race as the pinnacle of the sport of triathlon, he looks to drop his marathon split ten minutes-not by reserving energy on the swim and the bike but by simply getting stronger all around. Aiming to place in the top 10 at the event, it is a modest goal compared to the ultimate destination-overall winner.