While growing up in Southern California, becoming a professional athlete was always the goal for Matt McElroy. His passion for running developed at an early age after joining the track and cross-country teams in 6th grade. After placing 2nd at the 2009 Foot Locker Cross Country Nationals, Matt would focus on further developing his career as an athlete.

At Northern Arizona University he ran 28:36 for 10k and 13:51 for 5k. Matt found an alternative training methodology, which allowed him to become more mentally aware of his body and the type of training needed to stay healthy and be successful. Incorporating cross training into his run training led him to discover his true direction – triathlon.

Three World Cup wins in two months at the end of 2019 looked to have set Matt on course for a big Olympic Games, but fate conspired against him and he was unable to make it to the delayed Tokyo 2020.