"I believe that as a coach the most empowering thing you can give to the people you coach is your belief. "
"Michael is always there for his athletes both during and outside of coaching. He always encourages them to push themselves and to achieve their potential very often when the athlete does not believe in themselves. He always tailors the sessions to the group he is coaching and will make last minute alterations when required to suit the athletes without hesitation. He is there as a listening ear and offers advice and encouragement when needed. Michael is especially able to respond well to the juniors of the club and keep them motivated and interested during these sessions and encouraging them when they need it and to offer praise regularly. During the ease of lockdown Michael has altered the sessions on offer and adapted these to ensure it is covid secure. He has found alternative venues to ensure his athletes are able to continue to enjoy the support and encouragement of the club. Without Michael we wouldn't have such a fantastic club and coach."
Michael said; "As a kid I was an average 50m sprint swimmer from a small town in Lancashire and that was the limit of my sporting endeavours.
Back in 2012 I took a decision which has fundamentally changed my life. I decided to give up smoking and challenged myself to complete the London Triathlon Olympic distance for charity. Some nearly four hours later I crossed the finish line a different person than the one who jumped into the dock in London.
A fire had been lit inside me. The goal now was to be the best version of me I could be. In 2013 I decided to become a coach to give something back to triathlon. I had no club and no athletes, but I really wanted to give something back as triathlon had changed my life for the better.
I am passionate about coaching because of the profound positive effect exercise can have on people’s mental health (I’ve been there and worn that t-shirt from 2016-2018, details here if you want to quote any part http://smoker2triathlete.blogspot.com/2018/02/its-been-while.html).
As an athlete I find it amazing how many hurdles we can put in front of ourselves which hamper our possible individual athletic achievement. I’ll freely admit to not being a natural runner and I have had to break down my own mental barriers relating to running and I now pride myself on my ability to help my athletes overcome similar barriers.
I believe that as a coach the most empowering thing you can give to the people you coach is your belief. If you believe in the ability of your athletes, it strips away their own fears and concerns. It greatly reduces self-doubt. I’ve seen people go from doubting whether they can run 400m in 2:00 (25 min 5k pace) to being able to run 400m in 1:33 in the same session simply by removing that doubt from their control. It is really rewarding seeing people make those positive changes and seeing them leave sessions smiling and overawed from their own achievements."
