Hunter Kemper has been the most dominant U.S. male triathlete, ranked No. 1 in the world, recording six USA Triathlon Elite national titles, three World Cups, two U.S. Olympic Teams in 2000 and 2004 and a win at the prestigious Life Time Fitness Triathlon. But, in 2007 Kemper found out the path to his third Olympic team would not be a sure thing. In an exclusive interview, Kemper talks about his near career-ending injury, life as a new father and what it would mean to walk away with a medal in Beijing.

IT: Let’s get this interview started so we can have the tape rolling in case Davis says his first words.

Val Kemper: He does already say his first words but it happens to be “Daddy” and he hasn’t said “Mommy” yet. Well, he does say “Momma” but he goes crazy with “Daddy”.

Hunter Kemper: That’s his new thing right now, it’s pretty cool. It’s cool for me.

IT: How is being a father?
HK: Being a dad is really cool. It’s probably one of the coolest things there is, very fulfilling, and I think it only gets better as he gets older. I’ll be able to communicate more with him and interact more with him. He is 13 months now – we just had his 1-year birthday, January 3rd – and I absolutely love it. I want more kids so after the Olympics, Val and I will see if Davis can’t have a brother or sister. I love it.

LTF 06: Hunter Kemper Crosses The Line

Photo: Timothy Carlson

IT: Where does being a father fit into your life experiences so far?
HK: Being a dad in comparison to the rest of my career is totally different but is so much bigger. Racing to me is so temporary. It defines who I am to people who don’t know me, but being a dad is so much more fulfilling in that you have someone who looks up to you in every sense of the word. When you hear them call you “Dad” it’s amazing. When you win big races you get a big high, but you also go into lulls. Being a father, whether you have a good day or a bad day you come home and he doesn’t care. Last year was a rough year for me with training and racing but as far as personally for me with Val and Davis it’s been an amazing blessing and unbelievable.

IT: When you were injured last year, was Davis part of the picture right away?
HK: He was born Jan. 3 of 2007 and I was pretty much hurt from the end of 06 and the start of 07 I was hurt still. It was a nice mental getaway for me because when I would read the magazines and look through the publications but didn’t see myself in the pages or being talked about, when that doesn’t happen - as a triathlete our egos kind of get in the way and you don’t like to see yourself doing well. For me, I’ve come to grips with the fact that that can be so temporary and can be taken away so quickly – in my case due to injury. It’s so nice to come home and have him – Davis – not care about any of that. It was more focusing about being a dad then about – oh, my injury is so painful today.

IT: What exactly was your injury?
HK: It was an SI joint dysfunction. My SI joint was locked up. It’s in the pelvis area and a joint that proved very hard to identify but it was creating a great deal of pain in my lower back area but it was always in the run, not much during the biking. It was really painful in the early season even just walking around. I came a long way last year and was racing hurt for most of the year. When I did Hy Vee in Des Moines – it was a huge race – but I was doing it off of next to no training. I rushed back because I’ve done a lot of work with the people at Hy Vee and it was the biggest World Cup ever on American soil and the biggest prize purse in the sport. There was a little bit of training – none on the run – but it was more about going off of guts and getting into the race and I ended up not finishing too bad in 17th place. I was working a lot with Orbea and Ameriprise who were big sponsors of the Lifetime Fitness Series so I rushed back for that too. I was doing Minneapolis and New York. I was doing well but I never like to toe the line unless I am 100 percent and last year it was more about just being out there with my sponsors.

IT: What did your sponsors say?
HK: I told sponsors like Orbea and Ameriprise that I wasn’t racing at 100 percent but I would give them everything I had. Of course, they would have loved it if I was out there winning races but just me there and talking with age-groupers at the expo and after the events and being a spokesperson for their brand was important too. It was tough to win races last year when you have a guy like Greg Bennett who was incredible, especially when you’re toeing the line not 100 percent.

Alcatraz 06: Hunter Kemper (2nd) Struggles Up The Infamous Sand Ladder

Photo: Timothy Carlson

IT: Did you have apprehensions when you went to the start line knowing you weren’t all there?
HK: I was getting close throughout the year but when I would do these races and wouldn’t be 100 percent it’s tough being there. You don’t share that with your competitors. You don’t say, ‘Yeah I’m really feeling bad’. No one wants to hear that because say you do say that and then all of a sudden you’re feeling good one day or the competition isn’t as good one day and you go out and win. Then it doesn’t look so good. For me it was hard to keep that within, but I knew I wasn’t going to talk about it. It was hard racing that way but it was good for me too. It was good for me to go to races knowing I wasn’t 100 percent but still putting out the best effort I could and walk away with a smile on my face knowing I gave it all I had that day. There are situations where we’re not always 100 percent. I could be in Beijing and might only be 90 percent with this injury still. It might have been a learning process for me to acknowledge this might not be fully healed. If I’m not fully healed, how do I still race and get onto that podium or race knowing I might have a bit of discomfort to work with.

IT: Was it getting better near the end of the season in the build-up to the Beijing World Cup?
HK: It was. Last year was mainly about the Beijing World Cup because it was our first Olympic Trials qualifier and I wanted to be the top American. I was feeling really good then. I had some residual effects from the injury but I was ready to go then. It was one of those days where it didn’t happen for me. I didn’t have a great day and Jarrod (Shoemaker) did. He’s a great athlete and a tremendous athlete.

IT: Did Jarrod’s performance surprise you?
HK: It didn’t surprise me. He’s an under-23 world champion with great credentials and he’s a talented runner.

IT: You looked very disappointed crossing the finish line. What was going through your head?
HK: I was very disappointed coming across the finish line. I felt like I let an opportunity slip away. I don’t know what I could have done differently, but it was disappointing not to be the top guy and the first qualifier. I wanted to qualify at that race so I could have a whole year to prepare for the Olympic Games. That’s a huge advantage.

IT: How advantageous is it to get that qualifying spot in Tuscaloosa?
HK: If I can secure a spot on April 19th I think you’re okay. If you have to wait until Des Moines to get it, and be the third qualifier, you continue to have to have peaks, and it makes it difficult to always try an be on your A-game for all those races. If I can take care of it in April, I should be fine in August for Beijing. I’m not saying I won’t be ready if I have to qualify in Des Moines, but it will make the Olympic road that much more difficult.

Kemper exits T2 with race favorites at 07 ITU World Championships in Hamburg, Germany

Photo: Timothy Carlson

IT: Is everything ITU race oriented for you this year?
HK: For me this year, it is all about ITU racing and the Olympics. I will do some of the non-drafting Lifetime Fitness races because a lot of them fall after Beijing. The men’s race in Beijing is August 20th and Chicago Triathlon right before the Closing Ceremonies. I’d love nothing more than to fly back in time to show off an Olympic medal. I’d do a walk through for my sponsors and fans and go through the motions. It’s the Opening Ceremonies I’d love to walk in. I never have. In Sydney, our event was the second day so it was too close and for Athens we were still back in the US so I missed it that time.

IT: Has your approach to each Olympic Games changed from 2000 in Sydney to Beijing?
HK: In 2000 I was a big fish in a small pond. I was the top guy in the US and I went into the Games with big eyes. I didn’t think I could win a medal. I finished seventh at the world championships that year so I thought maybe, if I had my best race. I didn’t do that great and finished 17th. I was happy with that.

In 2004, I figured I was in the prime of my career – the late 20’s or early 30’s – and so I went in thinking I had a really good shot at a medal. I was one of the best runners in the sport and was ranked fifth in the world rankings. My expectations were much higher and I finished ninth with the fastest run – one second faster than fourth place finisher Greg Bennett. That was encouraging but now my perspective has changed.

I’m married and have a kid and I want to put so much pressure on myself to make the team and win a medal. If I’m fortunate enough to make the team I can always say I made three Olympic teams. I want to be able to go there, let loose, and just see what unfolds. There are some great athletes there. You have guys like Javier Gomez, Simon Whitfield, Bevan Docherty and Courtney Atkinson. Any of these guys – and more – can win. I feel my career has been on an upward path but now I have it in perspective and just want to appreciate it all.

Kemper finished second to Canadian Simon Whitfield in the 2004 ITU Honolulu World Cup, but qualified as the top American

Photo: Timothy Carlson

IT: Could you have had this perspective at the earlier Games?
HK: My mindset was too tunnel vision and serious. I love triathlons so much that I plan on racing until my wheels come off.

IT: Do you need that Olympic medal to complete your career?
HK: No. It will be complete. Winning an Olympic medal is so hard to do. You have to be going good on that day. There are only two Olympic champions in our history – Simon Whitfield and Hamish Carter – that’s it. Two men have won golds. And, it’s really all about the gold. People don’t remember you for silver or bronze. Susan Williams was an amazing athlete and won a bronze, but for me I’ll be okay if I can’t pull it off. I might not be okay with it right after the race if I finish fourth, but that’s still my competitive nature. This is probably my last go around at the Olympics.

I want to do other things. I want to do some non-drafting races. I don’t consider myself an Ironman kind-of-guy, but I might try the 70.3 series. It will be time for me to consider getting out of the sport when I’m no longer able to win the biggest races.

IT: We are seeing a lot of draft-legal racers look toward half-ironman and non-drafting races now.
HK: With the world cup circuit you travel so much and the racing is so intense. From the swim to the sprint finish on the run, the racing is so tough. It’s a different pace in non-drafting races. I’m going to look forward to that. I’d love to really focus on my time-trialing on the bike and work on different aspects of the sport.

IT: Is there a different attitude Americans have toward draft-legal racing now verses when you started?
HK: I think more people know more about draft-legal racing but I think people still have the attitude that just because you’re drafting on the bike, it’s an easier event. It’s easier in that you’re saving energy when you’re drafting but it’s like a criterium style of racing where your heart rate is jumping all over the place. It’s back and forth with a lot of efforts and very intense. Race organizers are making courses with more hills now, so it’s all becoming so the bike is really tough. I know the purists consider non-drafting racing to be the purist form of triathlon. I like to consider myself as being good at all disciplines whether it’s non-drafting or drafting whether it be short or middle distance.

IT: Look at Andy Potts.
HK: Exactly, he won 70.3 worlds last year. He’s got a great aerobic engine and after the Olympics he’ll probably focus on that distance. It will be interesting to see if he can make the jump up to Kona and Ironman, but the guy is a freak of nature. Craig Alexander has shown he can do it. He’s excelled at the non-drafting and he’s gone out quick with the Ironman racing now. I like what Greg Bennett is doing right now, upping the stakes for non-drafting races in the US. The Lifetime Fitness Series is trying to that now and I want to be a part of that.

IT: You won Lifetime in Minneapolis in 2006. Can you put into perspective what Bennett did this past year winning all five races?
HK: I don’t think you can. What he did was transformed his run so it was so top notch you either had to get off the bike with similar fitness as him or with a lead. He had to have a lot of luck, you can’t be off of your game and your competition couldn’t be having their best performance on that given day. If I was Bennett or anyone else not looking to compete in the Olympics, this would be the year to race in that series. All the top draft-legal racers will be focusing on Beijing. In 2009, the competition in that series will be lights out. He was going against Craig Walton, myself, Docherty and others and beat them each time.

IT: Can anyone beat Javier Gomez?
HK: He has been the top of the sport this last year. Daniel Unger beat him at worlds last year. I think I can beat Gomez but I’ll have to work on my run more to do it. Guys like Whitfield, Docherty, Atkinson, and Kris Gemmell can all beat him too. He is the gold standard right now. I believe I can win an Olympic gold medal but I know I’ll have to be ready to run with Gomez for the first two kilometers of the run to do so. Whitfield asked Javier for his #1 plate off his bike after Beijing world cup and probably has it hanging up in his room right now as a reminder of how he needs to prepare. Maybe he stole it, but it’s up in his room and he’s telling himself that’s the guy he needs to be able to beat. He’s getting close to running sub-30 minutes off the bike. If you can’t do that, you can’t win the gold medal.

IT: Were people using Beijing world cup 2007 as an Olympic test event?
HK: It was a race within the race. There was a lot going on. People were passive out there, with one big group of 60 out there on the bike. It will be a lot more aggressive this upcoming year. The cyclists aren’t going to sit around and wait for it to come down to a runner’s race. I guarantee there won’t be 30 guys coming into T2 off the bike together.

Hamish Carter and Docherty didn’t sit around on the bike in Athens. Guys are going after it. You can work on your run all you want but if you’re biking isn’t strong you’re off the back. When they attacked the very first hill you’re telling yourself this can’t be it, this can’t be the move. But, it was. Like that, the race for the medals was over for everyone who was being conservative.

I want to enter the race so prepared that nothing will be a surprise. I want to be strong on the bike where I can handle any kind of fast tempo bike ride. Going into the Games I need to be able to step onto a track and be able to run close to a sub 29-minute 10k. I have to prepare myself to where I can step into a road race and compete against pure runners.

The strategy now is to focus on getting some speed back with my running. With the injury last year, the run was the discipline that suffered. I’m trying to get miles in but also get focused to where I feel like a fast runner. Ryan Hall ran a sub-1:00 hour run. That is running 4:20 miles. The half-marathon is to the point where it’s no longer a distance event. It’s like a sprint for these guys. I’m trying to develop to the point where I can do 1k splits on a track with anyone in the world. I need to be able to challenge Whitfield and say me and you, let’s go 10 by 1k’s and see what we can hold. It’s like trying to get that college running mentally back.

The whole sport has elevated itself from 2000 to now. The competition level has gone so much deeper. Eventually, that will be what forces me out of ITU racing – the quickness and speed of these other guys. It’s just so fast. I’m going to have to go towards half-ironman racing. And I’ll stop there. Hopefully, I’ll go over to Kona someday to watch. But that’s it.

For more on the Inside Triathlon exclusive with Hunter Kemper, pick up a copy of the April Issue on newsstands or in your local bike or tri shop today.