AE student Elise Regalado is using her next triathlon to invest in the next generation of women interested in aerospace, aiming to raise $5,000 for a new scholarship.
Elise Regalado is used to balancing speed, endurance and precision, whether she is training for a half-Ironman triathlon or preparing for a career in aerospace engineering. Now, the Georgia Tech third-year is combining both passions to support the next generation of women in the field.
Regalado, an aerospace engineering major, is training for IRONMAN 70.3 Boise in Idaho on July 25. The 70.3-mile triathlon includes a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride, and 13.1-mile run.
Alongside the race, she has launched a fundraising effort to support scholarships for women pursuing aerospace engineering degrees, a cause she says is deeply personal.
“I’ve always known women are underrepresented in aerospace,” Regalado said. “If I can put in the miles and raise money to help even one student, that makes it worth it.”
Her goal is to raise $5,000 for the Georgia Tech chapter of Women in Aeronautics and Astronautics (WoAA), with an initial benchmark of $2,000, to contribute toward scholarships that can reduce financial barriers for women entering the field.
A competitive swimmer growing up, she was introduced to triathlons when she was 10 by her father and quickly embraced the challenge. In fact, he’s raced by her side at her two previous triathlon races. She completed her first triathlon in 2024 and followed it with a second race in 2025 that tested her resilience.
Her first race went smoothly, but the second brought unpredictable freezing weather and tougher conditions, which changed how she approached training and competition.
“You can’t control everything on race day,” Regalado said. “It taught me how to adapt and stay mentally strong when things don’t go as planned.”
Elise Regalado
Regalado completing the swim portion of her second triathlon.
Regalado cruising through the 56-mile bike ride during her second triathlon.
All smiles as Elise and her father Dan Regalado complete the entire 70.3-mile triathlon.
Training Ground
That mindset has carried into her preparation for the next race, where she trains across Atlanta, logging weekly miles on the Silver Comet Trail, running through Piedmont Park and incorporating on-campus swim sessions into her routine. She swims year-round through the Georgia Tech Swim Club and on her own at the Campus Recreation Center (CRC) and does a few open-water sessions when she has the access.
She splits her cycling training between indoor sessions with the help of a trainer setup, a device that lets cyclists ride a bicycle indoors while staying in place, and outdoor sessions. It’s one of her favorite ways to explore new cities. Similarly, she balances half of her runs inside on a treadmill and half outside.
“Depending on the week, I typically total anywhere from 50 to 90 miles across all three disciplines,” she said. “For this particular race, I am training for a total of 16 weeks.” She balances her schedule with involvement in student organizations, including the Georgia Tech Swim Club, Women’s Water Polo Club, and her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega.
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Elise Regalado takes a break from triathlon training to pose in front of Tech Tower.
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Engineering Resilience
For Regalado, the physical and mental demands of a triathlon mirror the persistence required to succeed in aerospace engineering and in advocating for greater representation in the field.
“Both require discipline, problem-solving and resilience,” she said. “That’s part of why I wanted to connect the race with something bigger than myself.”
The Chicago native has built a strong academic and professional foundation at Georgia Tech. Her experience includes internships with Bell Flight, United Airlines, and Honeywell Aerospace, where she has explored multiple facets of the industry. Her work has ranged from commercial aviation to defense and space systems, helping her refine her interest in systems engineering.
She will continue that trajectory this summer at Honeywell Aerospace in Clearwater, Florida, focusing on space systems guidance and navigation. Regalado is especially drawn to how systems engineering integrates complex components to ensure aircraft and spacecraft operate safely and efficiently.
“It’s about understanding how everything works together,” she said. “That’s something I’ve found exciting both academically and in my internships.”
Her AE classes have also overlapped into competition. She shared how her aerodynamics classes have shaped how she approaches the bike portion of a race, from optimizing body positioning to understanding how bike design affects drag and efficiency.
Racing with Purpose
By pairing her race with a cause, Regalado hopes to bring visibility to that gap while creating tangible support for students who might otherwise face financial hurdles.
She has already seen encouragement from her fellow Yellow Jackets, Georgia Tech faculty, and industry connections, including colleagues from her aerospace internships. That support, she said, reinforces the importance of community in both athletics and engineering.
“There are so many people who have helped me get to this point. This is a way to give back and help someone else get started.”
Elise Regalado
Looking ahead, Regalado plans to continue competing, with the ultimate goal of completing a full-distance Ironman race, a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26.2-mile run. She while pursuing a career in aerospace systems engineering. For now, her focus remains on Boise and the impact she hopes to make through her fundraising efforts.
“Crossing the finish line will feel great,” she said. “But knowing I’ve helped support women in aerospace, that’s the real goal.”
As she trains for race day, Regalado hopes her journey will inspire others to support the initiative and consider how their own passions can contribute to meaningful change.
“Engineering is about solving problems,” she said. “This is just another way to do that.”
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