UTHealth Houston researcher serves on the executive board of World Triathlon

Gabriela Gallegos, JD, MPP, associate professor of management, policy, and community health at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, serves on the executive board of World Triathlon, the international governing body for the sport of triathlon and all related multisports, where she plays a critical role in setting policy for the sport and organization. That includes developing and implementing policies that ensure the health and safety of participating triathletes.

Gallegos also sits on the board of directors for USA Triathlon, the national governing body sanctioning 3,500 annual events, and supports the leadership and skill of over 300,000 athletes in the U.S. With her background in public health and law, she brings a unique perspective to her roles, addressing health and safety concerns of recreational athletes, as well as elite athletes who compete at the highest performance levels, and overseeing sport policies and their implementation.

Through her roles, Gallegos reviews policies at the national and international levels for the sport of triathlon. These policies raise challenges that must be addressed with education and support for national sport federations which differ greatly in size, resources, and organization.

In her international role with World Triathlon, which serves as a primary pathway for athletes qualifying for the upcoming 2024 Olympics, Gallegos considers the critical health concerns of the competitors in Paris, such as mental health, injury prevention, and environmental safety measures for these games.

"We confront public health concerns at every turn, both at the Olympic Games and triathlon events across the country and internationally," she said.

This year’s opening ceremony kicks off July 26 on a global stage in Paris, France. Competing in the Olympic Games is what many would consider the apex of an elite athlete's career, taking place on a global stage with over 3 billion viewers watching. This career highlight is coupled with serious public health concerns for the host city that could impact those attending including water quality, air pollution, and other changes in climate, particularly in a population-dense city.  Supporting and safeguarding athletes throughout their time in the sport — up to and including the Olympics — poses another critical public health issue facing international sport federations and national governing bodies.

"I currently chair a working group on safeguarding for World Triathlon, which aims to refine our process and define our jurisdiction as an international federation to adjudicate claims of athlete abuse, neglect, or harm," Gallegos said. "Leading the development of a safeguarding process that is comprehensive, trauma-informed, and easy to navigate draws on my public health and legal backgrounds.

110 triathletes will compete at this year’s games, swimming, biking, and running in individual men's triathlon, individual women's triathlon, and mixed relay competitions that demand focus and endurance from the participants. Each athlete will face tremendous physical and mental demands. The 2024 Olympic triathlon competitions will occur over a three-day period on July 30, 31, and August 5.

Gallegos is an attorney and a public health researcher. Gallegos works on behalf of triathletes internationally as an elected member of the World Triathlon Executive Board and domestically on the Board of Directors of USA Triathlon.

Gallegos is also a USA Triathlon Certified Race Director who founded Race El Paso in 2010 to increase physical activity through community-engaged triathlon events. In 2023, USA Triathlon awarded Gallegos the Heart of a Race Director Innovation Award.