On Saturday, 26 October 2024, TAG consultant Yannick Van Hoof will compete in one of the most challenging endurance events in the world: the Ironman World Championship in Hawai'i. The highly competitive nature of the sport suits Yannick, who primarily races against his toughest opponent: himself. "I always push myself to go further, faster. It's all about improving."
Like many, Yannick didn’t start his athletic career as a triathlete. "I spent years searching for a sport that really captivated me. During my student days, I focused mainly on jogging when an injury sidelined me." Faced with this setback, he began cycling to stay active, but it wasn’t without challenges. "It wasn’t long before I experienced back pain from cycling. That's when I turned to swimming to stay fit while recovering." With the help of a physiotherapist, he gradually got back into running. "It was a process of trial and error, but slowly, the three sports came together, and I signed up for a triathlon."
Just a few months ago, Yannick qualified for the Ironman World Championships in Hawai’i after his excellent time at a triathlon in Frankfurt. "Anyone can register for most triathlon events, but the race in Hawai'i is different. There are limited slots." His entry into the Ironman is short notice, and the Hawai'i race promises to be Yannick’s most demanding challenge yet. "The climate will be a huge factor—it’s hot and humid."
Although Yannick hopes to finish within the first half of the 2,500 athletes competing—his primary aim is to gain experience. "It’s hard to predict how my body will react under such conditions, but I secretly hope to beat my personal best from Frankfurt, which was 9 hours and 22 minutes."
During his career at TAG, Yannick grew from consultant to team manager. "I’m very ambitious and loved working at the heart of TAG. Balancing my work life with personal commitments—renovating my home, getting married, and maintaining my training schedule – was challenging. Recently, I decided to go back to the basics: working on client projects, which is why I became a consultant in the first place. It’s given me more time and allowed me to reconnect with the core of my job. On top of that, it helped me qualify for the Ironman."
TAG’s company culture has played a significant role in supporting Yannick’s Ironman aspirations. "At TAG, it’s all about work hard, play hard. Once they saw how seriously I took my training, I was given the flexibility to go for training sessions during lunch breaks, as long as my work got done." Competing in Hawai’i isn’t cheap. Aside from the steep costs for flights and accommodation, race registration and materials cost Yannick another €2,000. “I’m lucky to have found some sponsors who support me, and I'm grateful TAG is one of them!”
“Who knows,” laughs Yannick, “I do notice some colleagues are taking their sports seriously. One will participate in their first triathlon, another takes on the Marathon des Sables in Morocco. Now that I think about it, it's not such an unusual combination. Competitive challenges like the Ironman mirror the culture of TAG: setting ambitious goals and working tirelessly to achieve them.” Whether pushing boundaries in the sports world or delivering top-tier results for clients, TAG consultants embody TAG’s drive to succeed.
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