As a kid in school, Natasha Goss was not the sporty one. She was not the student counting down the minutes until PE. She was the one forging sick notes to get out of it.
The first time she went for a run, she was 23.
Now, years later, the girl who once tried to escape gym class is chasing one of the toughest goals in Spartan: the 13x Trifecta Shield.
By the end of 2026, Tash expects to complete 18 Trifectas, and if the race calendar allows it, she is hoping to squeeze in two more to make it an even 20.
That number tells one part of the story.
The better part is why she is doing it.
“I heard there was a Shield in it, and I’m a magpie,” Tash said.
It is a very Tash answer. Honest. Funny. A little chaotic. Completely human.
But behind the joke is something deeper.
For Tash, chasing 13 Trifectas is a way to challenge herself, build her skills, grow stronger, and prove that who you were does not have to define who you become.
The Shield means more to her because of where she started.
“I was never a sporty kid at school,” she said. “I’ve only really been focusing on my fitness and getting stronger properly in the past five years.”
That is what makes this chase powerful.
It is not just about medals. It is not just about race counts. It is not just about another finish line.
It is a message to the version of herself who never thought this would be possible.
The unfit teenage version. The one who avoided PE. The one who had no idea what was waiting somewhere further down the road.
The Shield is proof that you can change. That you can get stronger. That you can set a hard goal, work toward it, and become someone your younger self would barely recognize.
In ancient Sparta, the shield was never just something carried into battle. It was a symbol of responsibility, identity, and the person standing beside you. For Tash, the 13x Trifecta Shield carries its own kind of meaning. It represents the work she has put in, the obstacles she has fought to conquer, and the person she has built one race at a time.
Most of the obstacles, anyway.
The Tyrolean Traverse remains her nemesis.
Every Spartan has one.
But there has also been progress. Real progress. The kind you can feel in your hands, your nerves, and your confidence.
One of Tash’s most memorable Spartan moments came in Budapest, at the rope climb.
For a long time, the rope climb haunted her. It was the obstacle that brought panic. The one that felt bigger than it should have. The one that waited on course like a personal test.
But over the past year, that has changed.
She can now get up the damn thing without panicking.
In Budapest, the rope climb sat at the top of a hill, overlooking the Danube River and the surrounding natural beauty. It was breathtaking. It was hard-earned. And because she was chasing the weekend, she got to see it three times.
That is the kind of moment that stays with an athlete.
Not because it was easy.
Because it used to be hard.
The hardest part of this chase, though, has not been one obstacle. It has been logistics.
The flights. The time off work. The planning. The budget. The race calendar. The occasional mistake, like booking two sets of accommodation for the same race weekend.
Because Spartan may test your grip strength, endurance, and grit, but nothing tests the soul quite like travel planning with rising flight prices. Truly, a different kind of Beast.
Still, Tash keeps going.
One of her biggest reasons is the next generation watching her do it.
Her best friend’s four children have become invested in Spartan because of her. The eldest has even started competing in kids events. He asks where she is racing, wants to see photos from her events, and is excited about her chase for 13 Trifectas.
That matters.
Because sometimes you do not realize the example you are setting until someone smaller starts looking up.
“To know that something I’m doing is inspiring the next generation of racers, that’s a pretty cool reason to keep on trucking,” she said.
She has also had Darren, her partner, beside her through the craziness of the season. He trains with her, has raced with her, and has supported the full beautiful madness of chasing the Shield.
According to Tash, he is probably owed a relaxing beach holiday next year.
Fair.
Her advice to anyone chasing their first Trifecta is simple: it is not as daunting as it first seems. Each race is a chance to improve. Each course is an opportunity to get stronger, learn the obstacles, and build confidence.
And if someone decides to go all in on a Trifecta weekend?
“Just survive it,” she said. “Even if you’re crawling over the finish line, it still counts.”
That may be one of the most honest pieces of Spartan advice anyone can give.
You do not need a perfect race. You do not need to look graceful. You do not need to have it all figured out.
You just need to keep moving.
Tash chases Trifectas because she likes to push herself and try new things.
But the story is bigger than that now.
It is the story of someone who once avoided sport and now travels across countries to chase finish lines. Someone who turned panic into progress. Someone who is proving to herself, and to the kids watching her journey, that strength can be built later. Confidence can be earned later. A new version of yourself can begin whenever you decide to start.
By the time Natasha Goss reaches Sparta, the Shield will represent more than 18 Trifectas.
It will represent every race she chose to enter.
Every obstacle she refused to let win.
Every chaotic travel plan that somehow became part of the adventure.
Every moment she looked back at who she used to be and proved that she had become something stronger.
From sick notes to the Shield.
That is the chase.
