We’re looking forward to introducing you to Sarah Elizabeth Segrest. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Sarah Elizabeth, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
If I’m honest, the thing I’m most proud of doesn’t have anything to do with medals or podiums. It’s who I’m becoming when nobody’s looking. Triathlon has forced me to face myself in ways I never imagined. Long rides alone, miles of running when my body’s screaming to quit, hours in the pool staring at that black line—it breaks you down. But in that breaking, I’ve learned who I really am, and who I want to be.
The person I was last year—honestly, she wouldn’t even recognize me now. I used to carry around a lot of fear, insecurity, and pressure to prove myself. And while I’m still learning, I’ve grown up a lot. I’ve matured because I finally stopped trying to control everything and started putting God first. And when I say that, I don’t mean in a perfect “Sunday morning” kind of way—I mean in the messy, daily, falling on my face, getting back up sort of way.
Growing up, I thought success meant achieving things that looked good on paper—money, a career, titles, medals. But the older I get, the more I realize success has nothing to do with that. To me, success is about character. It’s about how I treat people. It’s about whether I’m patient, whether I’m kind, whether my life points people back to God.
Yes, I’m proud of what I’ve done as an athlete. But the truth is, those results fade. What really matters to me is who I am becoming in the process—the type of person God is shaping me to be. That’s the foundation I want my whole life built on.
I only get one life, and I don’t want to waste it chasing the wrong things. I don’t care if people remember my name or my titles. What I want is for people to see Jesus when they see me. That’s the only thing that will last.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m an American triathlete, and on May 4, 2025, I became the first Vietnamese-born woman to win a USA Triathlon Texas State Championship title.
I was born on April 21, 2001, in Biên Hòa, Vietnam, and was adopted as a baby and brought to the U.S., where my adoptive mom and her family raised me.
Growing up, I attended Gaston Christian School in North Carolina through sixth grade, then Christian Academy of Knoxville, and later graduated from Myers Park High School in 2019. I started at the University of Tennessee as a biomedical and nuclear engineering major but eventually found my path in business, graduating in 2022 with a BSBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. After that, I studied Animal Sciences with an equine focus at Michigan State, and I’ve kept pushing myself academically through online programs—like Global Diplomacy at the University of London. Right now, I’m studying Public Policy at Yale and Management Strategy in International Business at ESSEC Business School.
I only discovered triathlon in March 2025, and it’s already transformed my life. Since then, I’ve qualified for the 2025 USA Triathlon National Championships in Milwaukee, earned a spot on Team USA at Multisport Nationals, and qualified for the 2026 World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain. But beyond the results, what I’ve really found is a deeper sense of purpose, discipline, and joy.
Outside of training and racing, I love giving back. I mentor students at the University of Tennessee with resumes and interviews, volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Association, and support amfAR, which is doing incredible work in AIDS research. I’m also a proud member of Gold House, a nonprofit that unites and uplifts Asian and Pacific Islander creatives, entrepreneurs, and communities.
At the end of the day, I’m just someone trying to live fully, keep growing, and use whatever platform I have to impact people for the better. Triathlon is part of my story, but so is my faith, my family, and the way I choose to show up every day.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
On my mom’s side, the Segrest family has been such a big influence on me. They’re the ones who taught me what it really means to work hard, to stay humble, and to show up for your community. Almost everyone in the family has started their own business, so I grew up surrounded by that entrepreneurial spirit. But what sticks with me most isn’t just their success—it’s the way they live their lives. No matter what they’ve built, they’ve never lost sight of their values. They’re the kind of people who will roll up their sleeves, give their time, and pour back into the community. That’s the example I carry with me and try to live out every day.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could say one kind thing to my younger self, it would be: you don’t have to prove your worth to anyone—you’re already enough.
I’d tell her that it’s okay to feel the ache of not knowing her birth family, to live in that in-between space, and to wonder what it means to belong. I know that space can feel lonely, confusing, and heavy, like carrying a part of yourself that no one else can see. But I’d want her to know that it’s also a space of possibility. It’s where she will learn resilience, empathy, and the ability to hold gratitude and longing at the same time. Being adopted doesn’t make her incomplete—it gives her a unique perspective on life, a deeper understanding of love, and a strength she can’t yet see.
I’d remind her that she doesn’t have to have all the answers or figure everything out right away. The person she’s becoming—through all the quiet struggles, all the questions, all the moments of feeling out of place—is worth celebrating. Every tear, every fear, every time she felt like she didn’t belong, is shaping her into someone who can love deeply, persevere through challenges, and live with purpose.
Most of all, I’d want her to remember that she is never truly alone. God has been writing her story from the very beginning, and even in the uncertainty, even in the space between “where I came from” and “where I’m going,” He is present, guiding her, and showing her that she is loved, whole, and capable. One day, she’ll look back and see that all those moments of doubt and longing were part of becoming the person she was meant to be.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
The version of me that people see publicly is the real me, but my social media is only a small piece of that story. If someone judged me based solely on my posts, they’d probably have a pretty incomplete idea of who I am.
Social media can be an amazing way to connect and share, but it’s mostly just a highlight reel. It doesn’t show the quiet moments, the struggles, or the work that happens behind the scenes. If you looked at my page, you might think all I care about is racing triathlons. But there’s so much more to me than that—the ways I give back, the causes I support, the time I spend reflecting, learning, and growing. Those moments don’t always make it online, but they shape who I am every day.
I try to keep my personal life private, not because I’m secretive, but because some parts of life are meant to be lived rather than shared. My family, close friends, and faith are where I find my grounding, and those relationships are what sustain me. That said, if someone looks at my social media and notices that I work hard, that my faith is central to who I am, and that I care deeply about advocating for the API community, then they’re getting a glimpse of the real me.
At the end of the day, social media will never tell the whole story—and that’s okay. But I hope that even through the posts, people can see the values I hold, the effort I put in, and the heart behind what I do. It’s not just about appearances—it’s about showing who I am while continuing to grow into the person I want to be.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
Honestly, the story I hope people tell about me isn’t about the medals I’ve won or the races I’ve finished. I hope they remember that I lived with intention and heart, even when life felt messy or uncertain. I want them to see that I loved deeply, that I tried to use the opportunities I was given to make a difference, and that I stayed grounded in my faith no matter what.
I also hope they understand the journey it took to get there—the feeling of living in between worlds, not fully knowing where I came from, and learning to find myself along the way. Being adopted gave me a perspective that’s hard to explain, but it taught me empathy, resilience, and the value of gratitude. I want people to know that even in the spaces that felt lonely or confusing, I tried to live with purpose and grace.
At the end of the day, I want my story to be one of hope and impact. I hope they remember that I cared about others, that I lifted people up, and that I used whatever platform I had to point people toward love, faith, and kindness. If they see that I tried to leave the world better than I found it, then I’ll feel like my life meant something.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahelizabethsegrest/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahelizabethsegrest/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahelizabethsegrest
