Epstein, who has been a member of the club since moving to Mount Isa three years ago, isn’t aiming to upstage her predecessor, rather maintain the infrastructure and momentum that she has built over the years.

“Kylie built the club from the very bottom when it had only a handful of members, compared to now when we have more than 150 registered,” Epstein said.

“The work her and Michelle Lee have done has been incredible and the new committee and I will just try to keep the ball rolling.”

A runner at heart, Epstein knows first hand how accepting and motivating the club can be for anyone who wants to improve their fitness.

“Our club isn’t just about the elite competitors, with all members encouraged to rip in and have a go,” she said.

“We know not everyone is an elite athlete, but if they try their best and achieve their own personal goals, we can’t ask for much more.”

Epstein has competed in six marathons around the world, including in America and Spain, as well as events closer to home on the Gold Coast.

“I’ve always enjoyed running and it has allowed me to travel the world and achieve some of my own goals,” she said.

“When I first moved here three years ago, I joined the club as a runner and to meet other people who think the same as me.

“But I eventually got motivated to try triathlon out and if it wasn’t for injuries, I’d still be competing in them today.”

Epstein has big plans for the Isa Rats, including increasing membership to more than 200 as well as achieving solid results in the North Queensland Series.

“We’ve all seen how popular the Outback to the Stack race is and with our memberships constantly increasing, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t pass 200 in the near future,” she said.

“This year we will also welcome the NQ series to Mount Isa on January 26, which will involve both a junior and senior triathlon.

“We were originally supposed to stage the event on October 18 but had to postpone it.”

Longreach, Bowen and Julia Creek’s Dirt to Dust are also involved in the NQ Series, which started last year.

“This series will give competitors a chance to accumulate points across a number of competitions, including the popular Dirt and Dust,” Epstein said.

“Distances vary in the events, such as Longreach holding a 500 metre swim, 15km bike ride and 3km run.”

The Isa Rats’ season starts this Saturday when it stages the duathlon at Lake Moondarra.