As we celebrate National Coaches Week, we’re also celebrating the Triathlon England Participation Coach of the Year and the Triathlon England Volunteer of the Year.
This year’s Participation Coach of the Year is Liz Scott with Sharon Griffin winning the Volunteer of the Year.
Participation Coach of the Year
This award celebrates coaches up and down the country who are central to the triathlon community. These coaches play a vital role in nurturing the talent of aspiring triathletes who may go on to represent their country as well as helping make the sport accessible and a welcoming place for everyone.
This year’s Triathlon England Participation Coach of the Year is Liz Scott.
As a coach Liz has committed hundreds, if not thousands of hours supporting triathletes of all abilities with various goals. She specialises in working with junior athletes and while many of her triathletes move from her clubs’ development squad to their advance squad, the results they achieve are outweighed by the smiles on their faces during the sessions she runs.
Last year Liz’s athletes had a wide range of success across the British Triathlon Super Series and Junior Race Series. Paratriathlete Oli Scott was second in the PTS5 Super Series and fifth overall in the Youth Super Series. Scott was behind fellow club mate Alfie Malone in the Youth Super Series, who had only been involved in the sport for 18 months. Her triathletes also had success in the junior race series and inter-regional championships.
The medals are second to the sheer number of her triathletes that return to their club or the wider sport following GCSE, when many juniors leave the sport. Liz’s efforts don’t stop at coaching, she also organises the South East Region’s Junior Race Series, underlining her commitment to the sport and those that she coaches. To learn more about coaching courses and development opportunities here.
Volunteer of the Year
Without volunteers we wouldn’t have triathlon.
This award celebrates those people that selflessly dedicate their time and energy to the sport, be it coaching, helping set up events, chairing committee meetings or any of the other countless ways they support the sport and the community.
This year’s winner is Sharon Griffin.
She has been part of Team Phoenix initiative, which helps women recovering from cancer to get involved in triathlon as part of helping them regain fitness and build a supportive community. Since its inception in 2016, she has recruited and helped a cohort of 10-12 women each year, some of whom couldn’t swim, to complete their first triathlon.
Working closely with Medway Tri Club, where she is now a level one coach, Sharon creates and delivers a compressive plan, helping each individual develop their skills in swim, bike and run. The activities are also designed to help the women develop their confidence and sense of community and include yoga, basket weaving and weekly cycling sessions. Despite each person having something negative in common with Sharon’s support, the group comes together to have positive experiences, learning skills and making friends.
Her support doesn’t stop when they complete their first triathlon, as Sharon continues to support the women on their triathlon journey encouraging them to get involved with Medway Tri for the fitness and social benefits it brings. Many of the women that have benefited from Sharon’s support have also gone onto complete more triathlons, with some completing single discipline challenges including marathons. A true shining light in the triathlon community, Sharon is a deserved winner of the Triathlon England Volunteer of the Year.
To find your local triathlon club click here.
