Head Coach: Jonathon Riall
Home Town: Whitley Bay
When did you start working with British Triathlon: 2005
What does your job entail? I am responsible for British Triathlon’s paratriathlon programme. I coach some athletes on the programme and then work with the other athletes and their coaches to ensure that they have exactly what they need to deliver their best performances when it matters most. In tandem with this I also coordinate the support staff to ensure that their roles are fully aligned to what the athletes need to produce their best.
As part of my role I lead the team at all competitions and will be the team leader for the team at the Rio Paralympic Games.
Talent & Development Manager: Alasdair Donaldson
Home Town: Edinburgh
When Did you start working with British Triathlon: April 2013
What does your job entail? It is my job to find new athletes who could go on to represent Great Britain at future Paralympic Games. I run the Talent Squad and work with the athletes in it to try and develop and help them progress towards the Performance Programme; I have a great team of coaches who work on the Talent Programme to help me out with this task.
Alongside this I also work with the Performance squad on a number of different things, from team management to run coaching.
Programme Coordinator: Kirsty Hillier
Home Town: Loughborough
When Did you start working with British Triathlon: April 2013
What does your job entail? My job is to ensure that the logistical and organisational needs of the programme are met. My role primarily supports the running of the Loughborough training centre and organisation of camps, national and international competitions.
Lead Paratriathlon Performance Coach at LTPC: Steve Casson
Home Town: Hereford
When Did you start working with British Triathlon: May 2014
What does your job entail? I collaborate with my fellow coaches in the Loughborough Triathlon Performance Centre to develop and deliver the annual training programme that will deliver our World Class Programme Paratriathletes through to the Rio Paralympic Games in 2016. I provide Swim, Bike and Run technical coaching support for all Paratriathletes who train in the LTPC and I lead the Performance Management Process for a number of our Podium and Podium Potential Paratriathletes. As a key member of the Competition Delivery Coaching Team, this year I will support our WCP Paratriathletes at World Paratriathlon Events, the European Continental Championships, the World Championships and our debut at the Paralympic Games.
Assitant Coach at LTPC: Luke Watson
Home Town: Loughborough
When did you start working with British Triathlon: October 2014
What does your job entail? My job includes; assisting in the delivery of daily Performance Centre sessions, working with practitioners and other support staff to positively impact athletes’ performance, helping to plan and manage the LTPC training programme and managing a number of projects to support the team. I am also the Head Coach of the East Midlands Regional Academy, so work closely alongside the Talent programme to identify and develop the next generation of athletes for the Performance programme.
Wheelchair Coach: Ian Thompson
Home Town: Hull
When did you start working with British Triathlon: Formally 2013 (on a part-time basis), intermittently from 2010
What does your job entail? My original role was to lead the technical coaching, planning and performance ‘wheelchair racing’ input into the PT1 (wheelchair) triathletes on the Performance Squad – ie only the third discipline of the triathlon for a section of the squad.
I now coordinate the overall programme for the PT1 athletes on the squad, working with the support team and coaches at Loughborough to deliver the balance of physical workload, skill development and health. I am home based in the North East based but am regularly at the LTPC, and with the athletes at the home training bases, to understand how the their programme is delivered and what support needs to be provided.
Strength & Conditioning Coach: Stephen Breisner
Home Town: Oxford
When Did you start working with British Triathlon: June 2014
What does your job entail? My job involves programming and coaching the athlete’s gym based training and physical preparation. This requires me to collaborate with the coaches and multi-disciplinary team to target the areas the athletes need to strengthen in order to improve performance and reduce injury risk. Additionally I work closely with the physio in the rehabilitation of injured athletes.
Physiotherapist: Gemma Jefferson
Home Town: Nottingham
When did you start working with British Triathlon: July 2014
What does your job entail? As the physiotherapist looking after the Paralympic performance squad my main focus is to look after the health of the athletes. This involves closely monitoring how the athletes are responding to training, identifying and modifying any injury risks they have, and treating any injuries that occur to ensure they recover as quickly as possible. By working closely with the rest of the support and coaching team, I aim to reduce the training time lost to injury or illness for all athletes, giving them the best chance possible to perform at their best come race day.
Physiologist: Ben Stephenson
Home Town: Middlesbrough
When did you start working with British Triathlon: November 2014
What does your job entail? I provide physiology support to the Performance squad whilst undertaking a PhD with the sport. This role includes the provision of lab-based screening to show current physical fitness and permit prescription of training intensities; monitoring of athletes’ training loads for proactive adjustments; and running projects such as heat acclimation prior to competition in warm environments.
Performance Lifestyle Advisor: Emily Hunton
Home Town: Stoke-on-Trent
When did you start working with British Triathlon: October 2014
What does your job entail? My role is to enable and empower our Paratriathletes to achieve balance across both their sporting and non-sporting lives. I work with coaches and support staff to inform, support and educate on particular issues that maybe related to the health, well-being, family, personal or condition/disability specific challenges that some of our athletes face. Elite sport can be unpredictable and not every athlete will achieve their ultimate ambitions which can cause huge disappointment. I therefore proactively support athletes with CV and interview preparation, signposting and career coaching/adjustment support to ensure opportunities are maximised prior to our paratriathletes exiting the sport.
Performance Nutritionist: Lucy Wainwright
Performance Psychologist: Lara Barrett
Home Town: Reading
When Did you start working with British Triathlon: November 2015
What does your job entail? My job focusses on enhancing sport performance by helping athletes and coaches develop the mental skills to improve the way they operate within the sporting environment. My role includes: ensuring training environments are conducive, that coaches have a full understanding of athletes, the team dynamics are effective, that athletes receive proactive mental toughness development plans, the psychological wellness of all staff is supported and that agreed processes are adhered to at competition.
