5 days ago
From US army to UAE-based athlete: How resident trains for world's toughest cold-water triathlons
A lifetime ago, Matthew Tourville marched in presidential ceremonies, beating the snare drum with military precision. Today, he's more likely to be found dodging jellyfish blooms in the icy Atlantic, scaling Scottish mountains in a storm, or running 100km through the rocky slopes of Jebel Jais.
"I started with the US military when I was 19,' said the 54-year-old staff sergeant, who is now an extreme endurance athlete, and leadership trainer for the US Army National Guard.
"My first enlistment was in 1991, and I was actually a drummer for the president at the White House. We did all the high-level ceremonies, arrivals, inaugurations... I met all kinds of presidents."
Tourville eventually traded formal ceremonies for physical training, becoming a master fitness trainer in the army and, later, a triathlon coach. What began with a dare from a colleague turned into an obsession that has spanned decades and taken him to some of the most remote and unforgiving race locations in the world.
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"I did my first triathlon at 29," he said. "One of the guys I worked with kept trying to get me into it. I finally did it and loved it. I wish I'd gotten into it sooner.'
Since then, he has completed more than 100 triathlons, five full Ironman races, about 30 half Ironmans, and over 25 standalone marathons. But more recently, it's the extreme triathlon circuit that has captivated him: unsupported races held in harsh conditions, where racers provide their own aid and support.
From Vermont to the UAE
Tourville moved to the UAE with his fiancee in 2018. While many would find it implausible to train for sub-zero Scottish swims in the Gulf's blistering heat, he's found ways to make it work. 'On June 14, I'm doing Celtman again. It's a full Ironman-distance triathlon in the Highlands of Scotland," he said.
"To train, I do cold plunges every day in 9°C or 10°C water. No wetsuit. Full immersion, including the head, to get used to the cold. And I'm riding five to six hours in the UAE heat to build overall resilience."
Despite the sweltering temperatures, Tourville uses Abu Dhabi's sand dunes, jetties, and rocky coastlines to mimic the challenging terrain of extreme races. "When I run in the sand, it replicates the squishiness of the bogs. And I run on bricks or stone jetties with cracks, to mimic the loose, uneven ground of trail runs."
It's a stark contrast to Celtman's cold winds, mountain climbs, and open-water swim through a jellyfish bloom. "Imagine a swimming pool of tapioca balls the size of small beach balls — that's what it feels like swimming through jellyfish," he said. "They were pink and white. The bloom was a football field wide. You can't go around it — you swim through."
Wearing neoprene gloves, socks, and a full wetsuit, Tourville said he escaped stings by pushing through fast. "Some people are more sensitive. I think if you stop and have a conversation with a jellyfish, you're probably going to get stung."
Last year, he completed Celtman but missed the mountain cut-off by 15 minutes due to illness. Still, he ran the full distance back to the finish line, completing 16 hours of racing. "I was shivering when BBC interviewed me in transition. That was me dancing in the wetsuit — I was just trying to feel my feet again. They were numb."
Tourville's passion for extreme racing truly ignited when he supported a friend at the Himalaya XTri. "My buddy Andy called and said, 'My support runner dropped out; want to come to the Himalayas in four weeks?' I said, 'Sure, what the heck.'"
The experience was surreal. "Most of the marathon was in the dark. We went up to 4,000 metres and back. There was a thunderstorm, and we ran through the clouds lit by a full moon. We could see lightning from above the clouds. It was stunning. If it wasn't a race, I would've sat down and stayed there."
Back in the UAE, he keeps pushing limits. In January this year, he completed the Goat 100km mountain race — one of the UAE's most technical ultra-races, despite not having trained fully. "I wanted to see if I could finish something there was a good chance I wouldn't. It took me 34 hours, no sleep. I made the final cut-off by 10 minutes."
He had stayed behind to help another runner unfamiliar with overnight racing. "I stayed with him till the checkpoint. It slowed me down, but it was worth it."
A grandmother's resilience
For Tourville, endurance is as much about mental grit as physical preparation, which he feeds off his grandmother, Jean Nadeau-Tourville. "She's 94, lives alone in Vermont with one leg, totally independent. No excuses. She's the toughest person I know. Every time I go back for duty, I stay with her. She's my mental reference point in every race."
As a certified life coach and leadership trainer, Tourville brings this mindset to his clients. "I always say: if you're not extreme, you're ordinary. Who wants ordinary? If you're an artist, be extreme in your art. If you love your family, be extreme about that. Don't coast."
In addition to coaching triathletes, he mentors soldiers preparing for leadership roles in the US Army National Guard. He's also an advocate for daily physical movement and wellness. "You should be doing some form of exercise every day for the rest of your life," he said. "And if you're over 50, you need to be lifting heavy."
"Cold plunges, heat adaptation, nutrition, mindfulness - it's all connected. I believe in hormesis, putting the body through controlled stress to build resilience. It's not just for athletes. It's for everyone."
And that's the mindset he'll be taking with him to Scotland this month, for his third and most determined attempt at Celtman.
"This one is special," he said. "My grandmother's ancestry is Scottish, from the Highlands. Her maiden name was Cameron. So it feels like I'm bringing a piece of her with me to the race.'
What's next?
Tourville's race map reads like a travel journal of extremes. 'All over the US and then Europe, of course — France, Turkey, Egypt, New Zealand,' he said. 'I did five races in New Zealand in 30 days. I drove both islands. That was amazing.'
His next big ambition is to complete the entire XTri World Tour, including the famed Norseman in Norway, Swissman, and PatagoniaMan in Chile. 'That's the goal; racing from one corner of the world to another,' he said. 'There may even be one coming closer to here someday.'
And beyond that? 'There's a seven-day stage race in Mongolia I've got my eye on. It's outside the extreme triathlon world, but still something I'd love to do,' he concluded.
