At first glance, solving Rubik’s cubes and competing in endurance sports might seem like an unlikely pairing. For professional triathlete Simon Shi, however, the combination represents two core parts of who he is: problem solving and perseverance. Known online for blending his love of Rubik’s cubes with his training—sometimes even solving them while running or underwater—Simon has built a unique identity in the triathlon world that’s both playful and inspiring.
His journey reflects discipline, creativity, and a desire to challenge expectations. As an Asian American athlete navigating a sport where representation has historically been limited, Simon continues to carve out his own path while building a coaching business, creating content for his growing audience, and preparing for major races like Ironman Texas.
We caught up with Simon to talk about the story behind his nickname, the gear he trusts on race day, why finding sunglasses that actually fit matters, and how he stays motivated while balancing life as a pro athlete, creator, and coach.
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Tell us more about what a Rubik’s Cube Triathlete title means to an outsider?
It’s just me combining two parts of my life that seem totally unrelated. On the outside it sounds random, but to me it represents problem solving and endurance sports, 2 of my passions. When I first started triathlon, I was constantly making content on both Rubik’s cubes and triathlons. So I coined that nickname for myself since I wanted people to know that I solve Rubik’s cubes and compete in triathlons.
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When did you first realize that solving a Rubik’s Cube could coexist with endurance sport rather than compete with it?
I started combining the 2, solving rubiks’ cubes while running, swimming underwater, and on the bike. I used creative ways to make fun content combining Rubik’s cubes and endurance sport. Then, I found a few Guinness World Records on solving Rubik’s cube underwater in 1 breath and a record for how many Rubik’s cubes solved in a 5k. One day, I would love to go after an official Guinness World Record and get in their big world record book.
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You do pretty fun features on your Instagram that showcase all of the gear that you put together for your triathlons and training. What’s the criteria for what you pack?
I have all my sports equipment for training and racing. Swimming there’s the wetsuit, biking there’s bike and helmet, and running there’s the run shoes. Of course, I pack Journey Optics sunglasses to look great for the run portion of the race. When I go to races, I also pack a few Rubik’s cubes.
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Before working with Journey Optics, what was your relationship with sunglasses during training and racing?
I haven’t really worn sunglasses my whole life but recently I just started since I found the effect of sunlight in your eyes can cause some damage. None of the big-brand sunglasses fit my face so I had bad experiences with them because I didn't like how they just sat on my cheek bones. I’m an Asian American and have a low bridge nose fit. That’s where Journey Optics came and solved my sunglasses fitting problem.
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Can you talk a bit about being an Asian male athlete and that experience?
Growing up, I was always told to fit in because as an Asian American, it is extremely difficult to get into sports, unless it’s an asian sport like ping pong or badminton. There were not a lot of Asian male athletes dominating the scene. For instance, Jeremy Lin and Yao Ming came into the NBA and all the asian people were getting hyped. It seems like for once, we were able to break through and accomplish big things. In my family, it was always frowned upon going after my dream as a pro athlete.
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You showcase so much discipline in so many areas of sport and life - how do you motivate yourself to keep it all up?
There are a lot of things I’m currently working on. There’s social media content, running my triathlon coaching business, and training & competing as a pro athlete. I’m mainly a run-man business running this. Every day there’s so much stuff to do but I wake up excited to keep pursuing what I love to do. It keeps me busy and I always think about what legacy I want to leave behind in this sport; that’s what keeps me disciplined.
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Curious about rest, what do you get to do in your down time and how do you celebrate it?
If I have down time, I would do some activities with my dog, April. It's been 3 years since I found her on the side of the road on a semi-rainy day and decided to rescue her. Whether that’s taking her on walks, going on walks, going to the dog park, grooming and showering her. She’s always watching my training and the work I’m doing for my business. It helps me take a step back and slow down on life for a bit to relax.
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What’s next for Simon Shi!
This will be my 5th year racing as a professional triathlete. I will continue to race as I focus on my next big race, Ironman Texas. I will keep pushing out content to help people with their triathlon journeys.
