We’re proud to welcome legendary Kiwi multisport athlete Braden Currie to the Macpac family. After taking the world of multisport, adventure racing and triathlon by storm in recent years, Braden’s diverse skill-set and ability to perform over almost any distance and discipline is nothing short of remarkable. Some might say that Braden is capable of anything he sets his mind to – and we look forward to being part of his journey as he and his family travel around the world, taking on the biggest races in the game.
Braden joined the Macpac family in January 2017, working with us on gear both for himself and his family as they travel together to events around the world. Like many New Zealanders, he has a long history of using Macpac gear.
“Adventure is what gets me up in the morning – both as an athlete, and as a Dad. To have Macpac support me in that adventure is an incredible feeling, and a huge advantage for me in a profession where every second counts. The type of racing I do is hugely diverse. How well I prepare for those conditions, can often make all the difference.”
Braden’s motivation lies within the journey. His keen sense of adventure leads him to often train completely outside the square when compared to a typical high performance athlete. He enjoys hiking, hunting and exploring new hill routes and is often seen carrying his young daughter up a mountain for strength training instead of doing deep squats at the gym. He has created a life that he loves for him and his family and his goal is to keep his passion alive by constantly challenging himself, so that he is always adapting and progressing towards becoming the athlete he believes he is capable of.
Braden knew that he could do more and found himself face-to-face with a career opportunity he had immense passion and natural talent for, but also well known to be financially high risk, highly competitive and perceivably impossible to make a life from. Braden had a decision to make. It didn’t prove to be a difficult one – anything involving risk, excitement and challenge sets off a spark within Braden and it wasn’t long before he was racing full time. His ability to perform consistently in all disciplines and his aggressive racing attitude were key attributes that allowed him to develop a career within multisport and adventure racing.
Between 2012 and 2014 Braden continued to thrive within the multi-sport scene and he won his first Coast to Coast in 2013. In 2014, Braden took out his 2nd Coast to Coast championship, beating 10 time reigning champ Richard Ussher by 24 minutes.
Braden then set his sights on the global XTERRA circuit. He travelled to Europe with his family (wife Sally and children Tarn and Bella). He decided to race the European XTERRA circuit as this is where he felt the highest calibre of competition was racing. After travelling and competing in over 11 countries, he finished 2nd on the circuit after 3-time world champ Ruben Ruzafa. He followed this with a 3rd place at the ITU World Cross-tri championships. This was his Braden’s first season in short distance racing on a world scale and only made him more determined to achieve further success in the world of endurance racing.
With no limitations Braden decided that his first event for 2015 would be in half Ironman. It was at the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman event, which doubled as the NZ Long Distance Triathlon Championship that Braden ran down sporting legends Mark Bowstead, Cameron Brown and Graham O’Grady to take the title. This was Braden’s first attempt to race a half Ironman with the big guys and has proved that his ability extends well into the on-road sports as well as off-road.
Braden also took out the Coast to Coast again in 2015 – marking his third win at this iconic event.
Braden then went on to win the NZ XTERRA and ASIA PACIFIC XTERRA Championships, before travelling to the USA, Costa Rica and Canada with his family to compete in the USA XTERRA series. Braden won his first event in the USA, where he claimed the title of the USA off-road triathlon champion. Soon to be followed by a series of successes and a 2nd place in the Series championship in UTAH. 2ndplace continued at the World Championships behind Josiah Middaugh who has since joined him as race partner for the Red Bull Defiance event in 2017.
Macpac is proud to partner with Braden and support him in his racing, his family adventures, and his travels.
Follow Braden’s journey at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/multisportbradencurrie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradenCurrie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradencurrie/
Web: www.bradencurrie.com
