Chrissie Wellington is the world-record holder for ironman-distance triathlon. She is the current and three-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion, having won the World Championship consecutively in 2007, 2008 and 2009. She is noted for having won the World Championship less than a year after turning professional, an achievement which has been described as _a remarkable feat, deemed to be a near impossible task for any athlete racing as a rookie at their first Ironman World Championships_. She is also the first British athlete to hold the Ironman Triathlon World Championship, and remains undefeated over the Ironman distance. In addition to the Ironman titles, she was also the 2006 ITU Age… Group World Champion and the 2008 ITU long-distance World Champion.