Read how Gwenllian got involved in coaching children in Triathlon
Full name: Gwenllian Roberts
Age: 21
Years coaching: 5
Who I coach: Kids, Cardiff Junior Triathlon Club
When I coach: 8 hours a week, Monday night and the weekend
Qualifications: Level 1 and 2
Favourite sport in triathlon: Run
Wedi i mi orffen nofio’n gystadleuol (gyda nifer o foreau cynnar) oedd yn newydd pleserus i fy rhieni, nes i droi at triathlon ac ymuno â Chlwb Triathlon Ieuenctid Caerdydd, ym Maindy. Yn hwyrach, nes i ddechrau gweithio tuag at Wobr Dug Gaeredin a Bagloriaeth Cymru oedd yn gofyn am oriau gwirfoddoli ac felly trodd ymarfer i hyfforddi a dechreuais helpu mewn sesiynau, arwain ‘drills’ rhedeg a lôn o nofwyr. Roedd y profiad o weithio mewn tîm ac arwain yn arbennig a nes i fwynhau hyfforddi’n fawr. Ar ôl cwblhau fy nhystysgrif lefel 1, wnes i ddechrau hyfforddi mewn ail sesiwn ar fore Dydd Sul, ac yna gweithio tuag at gwblhau fy nhystysgrif lefel 2. Yn hwyrach, tra yn y brifysgol, fe adiwyd trydydd sesiwn ac yna bederwydd! Mae yna nawr tua 135 o blant yn y clwb, sy’n mwynhau ymarfer ym Maindy, ac yn rasio mewn cystadlaethau yng Nghaerdydd ac ym mhellach!
Dwi’n caru hyfforddi triathlon, yn enwedig sesiynau plant gan fod angen creadigrwydd, hyblygrwydd a’r gallu i gadw pob dim yn hwyl – llawer o rasys a relays! Mae’r profiad o weithio mewn tîm mawr o hyfforddwyr ac arwain sesiynau yn arbennig a dwi’n mwynhau hyfforddi tair camp o fewn 1 sesiwn 2 awr! Mae gweld plant ifanc yn mwynhau chwaraeon, boed yn nofio, seiclo neu redeg, yn bleser ac yn ffantastig! Mae hyfforddi hefyd yn ddihangfa berffaith o waith prifysgol ac astudio ac yn rhoi siawns i mi gwblhau mwy yn ystod fy ngradd! Dwi’n mwynhau rhedeg a nofio ac yn gobeithio rasio yn y dyfodol agos! Haf yma, dwi’n symud i Fangor ac yn edrych ymlaen at fwy o triathlon a hyfforddi i fyny yn Eryri!
Having swam for Cardiff Swimming Club for around 7 years, the early mornings finally got to me (much to the delight of my parents!) and I decided to turn to triathlon. I joined Cardiff Junior Triathlon Club and was part of the Monday night training group until I decided to complete Duke of Edinburgh Gold award and the Welsh Baccalaureate, both requiring volunteering hours. So, I decided to swap training for coaching and started helping out at the sessions.
I really enjoyed helping other coaches, leading running drills and coaching a lane of swimmers, as well as the teamworking and leadership skills I developed. I decided to complete a Level 1 Triathlon coaching course in 2016 and quickly put my new knowledge to the test! When I came to Cardiff University, I started helping at the Sunday morning session and found a love for coaching, especially kids!
In my second year of university, we added a third session and I completed my Level 2 qualification, then we finally added a fourth last autumn. We now have around 135 young budding triathletes in Cardiff who regularly train at Maindy and compete at our main June race, GO TRI Events and across the country!
I love coaching children, as the sessions requires you to be creative, flexible and to keep them fun and entertaining. The leadership and team work opportunity has been invaluable, including all the race prep and I really enjoy coaching all 3 sports within 1 session!
Seeing children as young as 8 years old race swim in a pool, cycle around a velodrome and then run for the finish line in a race is fantastic! Coaching also provides a nice break from university life and studies and I think my university experience would be very different and weekends definitely more boring without it! It also provides an opportunity for extra qualificaitons on top of univeristy!
I enjoy running and swimming when I can and look forward to doing some races soon! This summer I move to North Wales, and very much look forward to seeing what triathlon and coaching opportunities I can get up to up there!
