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Club Profile: Kingfisher TC

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They is always a welcome waiting for new faces and it doesn’t matter if you’ve never done a triathlon before there are sessions and coaching for all abilities.

Kingfisher Triathlon Club are a friendly club based in and around Kingston Upon Thames. They always welcome new faces and it doesn’t matter if you’ve never done a triathlon before, or you have your eye on Ironman Podiums. They have sessions and coaching standards for all abilities.

How did it all start?
The club was started in 1984 by John Lunt, Bob Arnold, Chris Walsh and Gary Martin. All four were keen to start a club after taking part in the first triathlon held in Reading in 1983.  The driving force behind the club was that it would be a good idea to start a club to cater for varying ability levels. This holds true today.

 
And how’s it grown from there?
The club has grown from around 50 in 2011 to around 80 for the last few years. We have a large number of core members and also have a number of people who join for a season or two and then move on, often due to relocation.
 
We're fortunate to have Ian Rooke, who is a Level 2 coach as Head coach.  He’s ably assisted by Maarten Sollewijn Gelpke, Paul Rosewarn and Ania Kordek.  Between them they coach our weekly sessions and Maarten also organises the Sunday Club ride. 
 
The racing within the club is very varied, with some members choosing to race 1 or 2 sprint races in a year and others racing multiple 70.3s or Ironman distance races.  We also have some members who focus purely on cycling or swimming.  The Dart 10K swim and the Etape are both regular events for some members.


 Club colours?
We race in royal blue and navy, with a yellow Kingfisher logo. 
 
What training sessions are on the menu?
We offer two coached swim sessions a week where we are lucky enough to have the pool to ourselves.  Monday night is at Kingfisher Leisure Centre and Wednesday night is at Hampton Pool.  Both sessions are from 9pm to 10pm and cater for all swim levels. Tuesday night is a coached running session at Kingsmeadow Track in Kingston 8pm to 9pm and on Thursday we have a coached Turbo session at Tiffin Girls School in Kingston 7.30pm to 8.30pm.  On Sunday mornings we organise a non coached group ride, meeting outside Hampton Court Station at 9am.

 
What is your typical riding territory?
We generally head out to the Windsor over the winter, but come spring we’re usually riding in the Surrey hills.  London to Brighton is a popular summer social ride.

 
Do you host any events? 
Yes, we host the Kingfisher Aquathlon at Morden Park each year, comprising a pool swim and traffic free run in the park.  This year it’s on April 29th.  There are a range of distances; full and half distance for adults, plus a range of TriStar, Youth and Junior races which contribute to the London Junior Series ranking.  
Full distance is a London League race, 400m pool swim and 9k run.  Half distance is 200m pool swim and 4.5k run.   Most importantly, we pride ourselves on the free cake we offer to all finishers.
You can find out about the Kingfisher Aquathlon races HERE 
 Tell us about any key races or events you target as a club?
Every year we have a club championship competition, at the end of the year we award prizes for Male and Female Club Champion.  This year the competition comprises of 8 local races from Sprint to Olympic distance, 4 of which are London League races.  Members enter as many as they like, their result from their best 3 races count towards the championship.  Results are based on members results in their Age Group rather than overall.
Details of the Club Championship is HERE
 
Do you have a junior section of the club?
Unfortunately due to the sessions we have available we are not able to offer junior membership
 
What sets your club apart from other triathlon clubs in the area?
We are a friendly club offering a range of training sessions in all disciplines through the week suitable for all levels.  We are very lucky to have the whole pool available for our 2 swim sessions, so whether you are a complete beginner or podium regular there are people to train with and coaching available for all levels.  Full Members can attend as many sessions as they like for the monthly membership, or those who are less likely to come to multiple sessions can opt for ‘Pay As You Go’.

Tell us a funny story or anecdote about your club/club members?
Let’s just say it doesn’t matter how fast you are if you can’t count laps or follow arrows on the bike.  Two of are faster members have both lost podium places by riding a bit further than their competitors.

 
Any club heroes?
We certainly have a few – Harry Webb used to be prolific IronMan racer and has raced Kona multiple times. We also have a number of members past and present who have represented GB in Age Group competitions. John Lunt one of the clubs original members was the man responsible for the Triathlon at the London Olympics in 2012 and founded Human Race.
We also have a large number of members that joined us as complete triathlon novices and have gone on to achieve fantastic race results, exceeding their own expectations.
 
Does the club have any famous past members?
John Lunt mentioned above is probably our most famous 
 
Does the club have a Twitter handle / Facebook Page or website?
Yes, all of the above! See our websites at https://www.kingfishertriathletes.co.uk  or chat to us at facebook.com/kingfishertriathletes/ or @KingfisherTri. 
 
What is THE club social event of the year?
We have regular social events.  The highlights are probably our summer BBQ or the end of season awards night, we also have a Christmas social and regular more low key events throughout the year, which could be a pub night, quiz night or a visit to a restaurant.  It’s good to see fellow members out of lycra and without swim caps.
 
If you had to give one piece of training advice to new members what would it be?
Train consistently – you’ll be amazed at the improvements that can be made.  If you have a weakness in one disciple that is stopping you from joining a Triathlon club, it’s all the more reason to join one.
 
Annual membership fee:
£60
 

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