I came to sport late in life (48) and by some miracle of hard work and luck, a few years later – became a standard distance triathlete competing with the British Triathlon Age Group GB Team. Three years of international racing later – always finishing middle of the field – I was fed up with no progression. At 53 I decided to find out if a triathlon coach and a personal structured training plan could help. Richard has been my coach ever since. Initially, I was concerned that as a Royal Marine, he would find coaching me – an older female age-group athlete – difficult. Far from it. Richard brings a wealth of experience and expertise to coaching and understands the training/life balance. It is easy to dismiss an older athlete as not really capable of a competitive mindset but none of that with Richard! He pushes me like any other athlete, never underestimates the pressure I put on myself, and knows when to put in a rest day whether I think I need it or not!
Naturally, life has chucked in some low patches – that is when Richard has been crucial to setting the key sessions that will make a difference without piling on the load. He instils a commitment to consistency and accuracy, and I have found that the mental resilience to go through with sessions is, in part, also due to him being an incredibly caring and calm coach. Richard’s skill to adjust the training load across the disciplines has been key to my successes.
I never thought I would achieve international podium positions, but that is exactly what I have done with Richard. The Raw Fitness Team experience is an exciting new development which I am really looking forward to in 2021.