Edmonton, Alberta Canada isn’t known for its tight sweat-resistant outfits, but on the first of this month that look was all the rage.

Edmonton hosted the 2014 ITA World Triathlon Grand Final. More than 130 countries were represented in the event, as competitors partook in a 1500-meter swim, a 40-kilometer bike ride and a 10-kilometer run.

Among those athletes was a former Laker: Grand Valley State University alumna, Courtney Jones.

Jones placed 26th (2:24:45) out of 46 female triathletes in the 20-24 age group, which was good enough for eighth place out of 12 U.S. women. The performance was 104 seconds removed from the top 20 – an impressive finish considering Jones’ life-long experience in the sport.

She started competing in triathlons when she was a senior in high school, and later joined GVSU’s triathlon club. She said it was the first club that really got her feeling competitive about the sport.

Although her experience at GVSU is what brought out her competitive side, she had already shown a considerable amount of drive on her own terms. Even though she didn’t compete in a single triathlon for most of her high school career, Jones lost 70 pounds.

“From my sophomore to my senior year I was doing swimming, running and biking and you just saw the pounds shed off,” she said.

The Fremont, Mich. native said it was the best she has ever felt.

Jones said most people think she’s crazy for competing in triathlons, and sometimes asks herself, “Why am I doing this?” The answer is the feeling of crossing the finish line.

“When you stand up on the podium, you know you have achieved something of greatness,” she said.

Jones said she feels the pain during the three-course races, but becomes so focused that she is able to block it out and finish what she started. She said when she competes, it feels as though her mind shuts off.

“People will ask me if I heard them cheering and I’ll have to tell them that I didn’t hear anything,” she said.

She may not hear them during her races, but she certainly heard their support loud and clear prior to leaving for Alberta.

Jones took to the Internet to raise money in an attempt to cover her basic costs for the trip. She needed $1,500 and was able to meet her goal.

“I can’t believe the support I got from the Grand Rapids community,” she said. “There were people I knew and even people I didn’t know. I felt truly blessed.”

Jones didn’t get to Edmonton by herself, but she definitely raced alone. Prior to worlds, she was training without a coach.

She had been emailing USA Coach Kris Swarthout prior to the race in hopes of landing him as a coach, but he initially told her that the most he could do was put her touch with someone else who might be interested.

After Jones took 26th, however, Swarthout decided he could be her coach after all.