Strength in balance: Park City’s mom, teacher, Ironman champion

Liis Rametta and her family. Photo: Deb Dekoff

It’s 5 am and most of the world is still asleep. Liis Rametta is at the pool, cap and goggles tight, eyeing the black line, ready to dive. It’s the way she starts almost every day.

Just after she had her first son, a coworker invited Rametta to enter a sprint Ironman race and she agreed. “I ran track in college,” she said, “But I thought this would be a great way to get back in shape after I had my baby. They warn you that once you try one, you get hooked.” When the bell sounded and she took her first step, it was the first step into the next chapter of her life. Rametta was smitten. Since then, she’s completed 5 full (140.6 miles total consisting of a 26.2-mile run, 112-mile bike ride, and a 2.4-mile swim) and 15 half (70.3 miles total) Ironman races. And she’s finished strong in almost all of them.

Rametta took first place in her age group in her first full Ironman – the 2019 Ironman Tallinn. She then placed 8th and 6th in her age group in the 2019 and 2023 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, and was the overall female winner in the 2022 Ironman California. “I have podiumed in my age group 10 times in the half-races,” said Rametta. “I was pretty successful from the beginning. I like being good at things.”

Rametta grew up in Estonia and moved here to run track for BYU from 2002–2006. One night, she went out with friends in Park City. “I met my husband, a Park City local, at a bar,” she said. “We fell in love and got married.” They lived in Salt Lake for a few years, but eventually bought a home in Park City. “We’ve been here since 2011,” she said. “I love how beautiful Park City is and the small town feel — even though it has grown a lot in the past 12 years since I have lived here. I love the four seasons and how many different sports you can do here. It’s a great place to raise a family.”

The couple, and their three children Oskar, Kaspar, and Miia, play together outdoors. Recently, Rametta started downhill skiing. “There aren’t any mountains in Estonia, so skiing is new to me,” she said. “I should have started earlier — my kids are a lot better than me.” Recently, she decided she needed a new challenge, so she took up gravel biking. “I am planning on doing more biking this year and have signed up for two 100-mile local gravel races and LOTOJA which is a 200-mile road race from Logan to Jackson,” she said. “I am definitely an endurance sports person.”

In addition to training as an elite athlete and raising three active children, Rametta has been a teacher for the past 15 years. Currently, she teaches at McPolin Elementary in Park City. “I am a gifted and talented specialist for students from kindergarten to 5th grade,” she said. “I love my job. It’s challenging, creative, and rewarding and I am never bored at work.” Rametta is also an assistant coach for the Park City High School XC running team. “Keeping up with the team is my secret weapon for staying fast,” she laughed. “If I can still keep up with high school girls, then it’s all good.”

Her husband is a general contractor in town. “I couldn’t do this without him. We sit down every Sunday night and work out a schedule,” she said. “He comes to the races if he can and sometimes, we go to new places just so the whole family can come to the races too.”

Rametta raced in a few bike and running races this summer and possibly another Ironman this fall. “Sometimes I think I do all this endurance training because I have 3 kids,” she joked but was serious again. “I don’t have to think about anything else. Mentally and physically, I do this for myself. During the day there are so many things to be responsible for. Training is my time.”