For UK Coaching Week 2024, we spoke to our Pathway Head Coach Vicky Johnston on her coaching journey including some top tips.

Vicky started as the Development Coach in October 2018. Her current role includes leading on the Welsh Triathlon Academy and Next Generation Cymru programmes for Youth and Junior athletes, delivering the IRC selection for TriStar athletes and supporting our pathway clubs and coaches. Here’s Vicky’s story…

Vicky's journey into triathlon sprouted from her early years of embracing an active lifestyle. As a child, she immersed herself in various sports, including swimming, running, and biathlons, eventually delving into the pentathlon route as she got older. However, despite her passion for running, Vicky's trajectory took an unexpected turn when an injury sidelined her from pursuing her favourite activity.

Determined to stay active, Vicky embarked on months of swimming and cross training. It wasn’t long before she was persuaded into trying a triathlon.

Taking the plunge, Vicky entered a local triathlon race, unsure of what to expect. To her surprise and delight, she not only won the race but also broke the record! From that pivotal moment, Vicky found herself hooked on the sport of triathlon, setting the stage for a lifelong passion for the sport.

Vicky started coaching when she was 17 years old, helping out at her local junior triathlon club to gain some experience and add an extra curricular to her personal statement for University. This proved to be a revelatory experience and sparked a genuine passion for coaching.

Over the ensuing years, Vicky continued to immerse herself in coaching, lending her expertise to various clubs and Academies. Initially, she never envisioned coaching as a full-time pursuit. However, when training as an athlete in the Performance Centre in Cardiff in 2018, the Welsh Triathlon coaches went to Australia for the Commonwealth Games and asked her to cover some sessions. The experience proved to be a defining moment in Vicky’s coaching journey.

Vicky made the decision to transition from athlete to full-time coach just eight weeks later. It was a leap of faith that she haven't looked back from since.

What is your favourite thing about coaching youth athletes?

Vicky’s favourite thing about coaching youth athletes is helping them to develop as people alongside guiding them as athletes.

“It is always rewarding seeing athletes improve and perform better, but for me, helping them to have enjoyable experiences and learning life skills through triathlon is as important.”

“I also love how creative you can be when coaching younger athletes, everything can be much more game/fun based at that age.”

What strategies do you use to help young athletes cope with the pressures of competition and performance?

Vicky explains that to help young athletes cope with the pressures of competition and performance she tries to put a big focus on race plans and reflecting from experiences.

“Most people will get nervous before races because they care but by helping them to focus on what they can control rather than what other people are doing is a brilliant skill to have.”

“Equally, being able to reflect after a race is crucial, if you have done well you need to know why and if you haven’t, you need to reflect and learn for the next one.”

Can you discuss the role of parental involvement in youth athlete development, and how you manage parent-coach relationships?

“Parents play a critical role in an athlete’s journey and development. Without them, athletes would probably not even get to the training or races! Parents are the ones who are providing the opportunities and being the biggest supporter for young athletes.”

Vicky explains that her approach when working with younger athletes is to try to keep the parents informed of why we are doing what we are, helping them to understand and buy into the processes and encouraging honesty and transparency throughout.

She also expresses how she feels strongly that athletes should be learning how to become independent people as they go through their teenage years. So, she tries to facilitate this by encouraging athletes to take ownership of the smaller things e.g. answering emails from coaches, entering races, communicating with the coaches/mentors.

“The best triathletes in the world aren’t just the fastest at swim, bike, run but the ones who are able to organise and plan their lives to allow them to train a lot and recover sufficiently for many years.”

What have been some of your proudest coaching moments?

“Whilst not directly linked to the Youth & Junior athletes that I work with, I can’t not mention the silver medal at Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games! The whole trip with the team was something I will never forget and seeing the years of hard work of both staff and athletes pay off in the best way was definitely one of my best memories!”

Within her daily work, Vicky notes that one of her proudest moments is seeing athletes face non-selection and go away and work hard and come back with massive improvements.

“Equally, seeing athletes achieve qualification for events or get the PB they’ve been chasing for months/years is obviously very rewarding.”

Finally, do you have any top coaching tips for someone just getting into triathlon?

“Make sure you enjoy the training. Triathlon is hard but it is meant to be fun. So, if you like the social side, find a club or a training group to make the sessions more enjoyable!”

“Also, easy miles (across all 3 disciplines) really do work. Be disciplined with your intensity control during your aerobic sessions and you will gain so much more from your harder sessions and overall programme.”

Find out more about the Welsh Triathlon Academy Programme here!