Tri and Mighty: Canada flavour to camp

Canadian Matt Paone will be swapping the cold January temperatures of Vancouver Island for the relative warmth of Bermuda for the Bermuda Triathlon Association’s 2014 4th Annual Triathlon Camp. 

For the first time a number of Canadian triathletes are expected to join local triathletes for the popular camp that runs from January 26 to February 2 and last year attracted close to 60 triathlon newbies and more experienced triathletes.

Paone is coached by Jasper Blake, the owner and head coach of B78 Coaching in Victoria BC. Blake is a former professional triathlete who had an outstanding career, including winning the Canadian Ironman Triathlon. Four years ago Blake and Mike Neill were invited to come to Bermuda to coach and their camp is now a fixture on the Bermuda calendar. 

Neill is also a former professional triathlete who heads up Human Powered Racing, another training programme in Victoria. 

Blake and Neill will be joined by experienced age group triathlete Sandy Wilson, who is also a physiotherapist who works with athletes. Next year’s camp will again include a Trinewbies Beginners programme as well as a camp for more experienced triathletes looking to kick-start their season. 

Camp organizer Dave Morrison said: “The training sessions are nearly all scheduled for the evenings and weekends which makes it easier for most participants. 

“Anyone considering signing up for the Beginners course should not be intimidated as it really is a course for complete beginners, even people with minimum fitness who are weak swimmers and have a basic bike but want to start the new year with something new to help them kick-start a fitness programme.”

Maybe some of those beginners will ultimately join the likes of Deanna Didyk who four years ago signed up as a beginner and this year competed in her first age group world championships in London and in the Miami 70.3 Half Ironman Triathlon. 

Morrison added: “The transformation of so many of these beginners to established triathletes so quickly is remarkable.” 

Details of the camp can be found at www.bta.bm 

Tri and Mighty is a new weekly column by Dave Morrison.