About Little Metz
Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa. Living in Boulder Colorado with my husband, Justin Metzler, and our dog Milli! Jeanni Metzler is a multiple 70.3 winner who most recently placed 2nd at IRONMAN 70.3 St. George, September 18th, 2021. Born and raised in South Africa, she now lives and trains alongside her husband and fellow pro Justin Metzler in Boulder, and she has claimed emotional victories in both locations. Tracing her journey to Colorado, she says: “My cousin got me into road cycling when I was about 17 and then introduced me to a local triathlon group in Johannesburg, the rest was history!” She won her age group at her first 70.3 race in Buffalo City, East London in 2011. Taking up the chance to be a professional in 2012 as she turned 20, she had to make a drastic decision to give herself the best chance of success. Jeanni explains: “I left South Africa with pretty much nothing – but, with the support of my family, I was able to make a life for myself as a professional athlete in the United States.” The first couple of years were tough, but her breakthrough moment came late in 2015 when she won IRONMAN 70.3 Austin thanks to a storming run. This was to become a common theme. Jeanni came back a year later to defend her title and then won the inaugural 70.3 Xiamen race that November. She was on her way now, and the wins started to stack up.