Scott Fisher is a seasoned triathlete who has spent years running, biking and swimming his way to remarkable successes. His journey offers a fascinating look at triathlon training, discipline and balance. He took some time to talk to Team FinishTime about his achievements, training regime and the lessons he’s learnt along the way.
How did you get into triathlon and what was it about the sport that hooked you?
My triathlon journey started through a small cross triathlon series for schools in the Midlands called the aQuellé Mudman Series, which gave me my first taste of getting a FinishTime. By that point, I was already part of the school’s swimming and cross-country teams and I also did some mountain biking over the weekends, so it was a natural transition.
What have been your most significant achievements along the way?
In my experience, a lot of the milestones along the way are ones that only you really appreciate. Things like breaking your 5km personal best after coming back from an injury or improving your FTP (a measure of cycling power) after a period of seemingly no progress.
One of my most significant achievements was winning the SA Cross Triathlon Championships at Steyn City in 2025. I led from start to finish, but it was only when I came into T2 and heard that I had a big gap that I really started to believe I could win. Even after crossing the finish line, I couldn’t quite believe it. It took a while to sink in.
What does a typical week of training look like for you?
In a month, I like to do three harder weeks of training and then one easier week so that my body has a chance to rest and absorb the training. A hard week starts on Monday with a moderate swim and some strength and conditioning work. On Tuesday, I do a threshold bike session and a threshold run session. Wednesday is a VO2 bike session with a run off the bike, as well as a harder swim later in the day. On Thursday, I have a running speed session and another hard swim. On Friday, it’s an easy swim with more strength and conditioning work. I’ve also started doing a longer, harder swim on Saturday mornings, followed by a long run which can also contain intervals. Finally, on Sunday, I do a long ride with a run off the bike.
I normally fit in one session before work, usually a swim at the Virgin Active near my work, which saves me a bit of travel time. Weekends give me more time for the longer sessions, although I also need to fit studying into my Saturdays and Sundays.
How has your approach to training evolved?
Starting out, I knew that you needed a mix of interval, easy and longer sessions, but the problem was that I was trying to build Rome in my harder sessions. This increased my injury risk and made me less consistent. This went on for quite a few years until I joined Xceed and Benji JvR started coaching me. When he set my hard sessions, I started to realise that I needed to hold back a bit so that I could train more consistently without getting injured. And that’s the main lesson: consistency is where progress starts to happen.
What has been one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in triathlon, and how did you deal with it?
I got a pretty bad knee injury in September 2025 and no amount of rest seemed to make it come right. Eventually I saw a doctor and a biokineticist. With a lot of strength training, I started being able to do more cycling around February/March this year, although I was only really able to go all out again around May/June. That’s why I’m very strict about not skipping any strength sessions, because I really don’t want that to happen again. It was a difficult time: I wanted to achieve the results I felt capable of, but my body was holding me back.
I really started to believe I was making progress when I did the Ford Trailseeker event in the Cradle and was able to race without any pain. The whole experience taught me to take setbacks as an opportunity to look back on what I’ve achieved. This gave me the confidence to know that I could work my way back.
Looking ahead, what are you hoping to achieve? Are there particular races, distances, goals or experiences that you’re chasing?
Later this month, I hope to head to the UAE to race the Cross Triathlon World Champs as an elite. It’ll be my first ever World Champs, which is really exciting. For 2027, I want to try to do more short-course triathlon African Cups and potentially a race or two in Europe. Then I’ll also start looking at making the transition to longer events like 70.3, T100 and Ironman. I’ve watched a lot of Ironman races in South Africa and have really wanted to take on that challenge myself. I think we South Africans like a challenge — that’s why so many people take on Comrades every year. I’m not sure if I’ll be racing the longer triathlons as a pro though. I currently work a full-time job and train when I can, so I have to be realistic about the level I want to continue at.
What advice would you give an aspiring triathlete?
Firstly, don’t feel like you have to follow anyone else’s timeline. I was only able to train well and consistently once I got a coach. Secondly, don’t go too hard in your hard sessions. It can be hard to find that balance and getting a coach, if you’re able to, can help you manage it. Lastly, don’t get too caught up in everyone else’s results on social media. Focus on your own journey and celebrate your own successes.