Filipina Kira Ellis leaves prestigious U.S. NCAA program to chase international Triathlon dream

Filipino triathlete Kira Ellis made history last year as the Philippines’ first NCAA Division I Women’s Triathlon scholar, earning a coveted spot at Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina.

But in a surprising turn, Ellis has chosen to step away from her U.S. collegiate career, setting her sights instead on international competition and a long-term goal: breaking into the top 100 of the International Triathlon Union (ITU) world rankings.

In a recent radio interview, Ellis explained that the decision was not easy, but necessary.

“I think, for us, it was a good decision because the traveling is going to take a toll on me, on my recovery. We are doing our best to plan now. We are doing our best for that,” Ellis said.

Ellis and her team are now exploring the possibility of enrolling her in an online university, a move that would allow her to balance academics with the rigorous demands of elite triathlon training and competition abroad.

✨ 𝐊𝐢𝐫𝐚 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐬’ 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 🏆 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐨𝐧 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐮𝐩 🏃‍♀️🏊‍♀️🚴‍♀️

Rising Filipina triathlete Kira Ellis clinched the gold medal in the Women’s Junior Division … pic.twitter.com/nftofHhbms

— Philippine Sports Commission (@psc_gov) August 20, 2025

The 20-year-old gave a glimpse of her potential on the global stage just weeks ago, capturing gold at the 2025 Europe Triathlon Junior Cup in Riga, Latvia. In what many considered her comeback race after a challenging year, Ellis dominated a field of European athletes with a total time of 1:05:07 — clocking 12:09 in the swim, 34:27 on the bike, and 17:41 in the run, plus two crisp 27-second transitions.

It was a breakthrough moment. Not long ago, Ellis struggled to even complete races, often faltering at T2 after the bike leg. For her, finishing pain-free and setting her fastest 5K split marked a personal victory as much as a professional one.

“Honestly, I was just happy to be back on the start line after not racing for a while,” Ellis admitted. “This year has been quite tough for me. There were definitely a lot of low moments, but also so many lessons that helped me grow as an athlete. Riga, you truly have my heart.”

Ellis’ choice to leave Queens University underscores her bold ambition: to trade the relative security of the U.S. collegiate circuit for the uncertainty — and opportunity — of the world triathlon stage. With her confidence restored and momentum back on her side, the young Filipina is now chasing bigger dreams, determined to carve her name among the sport’s elite.

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