Heroes

Tridents have 10 triathletes who have qualified to represent Australia at the World Champs. Coach Gathercole will be there in an official capacity as well.

Nevin Agnew

Favourite thing about triathlon:Learning new things, meeting people ,training , no just kidding, laughing with and how funny Steve Baker ,Howsie and Dave Hamer were in Hobart after the race

Rachel Baker

Goal for Worlds: This year I want to soak up the Worlds atmosphere. I aim to finish strong and be competitive but mostly I want to really enjoy the race.

Favourite thing about triathlon: Making lasting friendships with dedicated, fit and happy people.

What motivates you to train? Getting and keeping fit. I really like the feeling you get when a tough session is over - you are tired and sore but wow it feels great.

Anything else? I am looking forward to travelling and racing in Vancouver with a really great bunch of Tridents.

Steve Baker

Age Group: 40-44 (although to look at Steve that may be quite surprising especially as Jon Howse's mother that likes to say Steve has a baby face)

Goal for Worlds: Be happy with all three legs of the race. Hopefully recover from recent Ironman escapades and find some speed. Run across the line with the 3 boys and cheer on their mum. Survive 8 days at Disneyland post race.

Favourite thing about triathlon: I normally enjoy the swim but really have fun on the ride in the race. I really like the world champs as you get to live life as a pro athlete for a week each year and hang out with the family and some great Tridents team mates.

Advice for young players: You can never have too many Aussie tracksuits or race gear. Have a great time and enjoy the whole experience of the worlds campaign not just the race.

Secret training hint: 1000 squirrel wind trainer sessions of time trial racing just like Lance Armstrong did in his preparation for the Tour de France (at least that is what the DVD cover says).

What motivates you to train? I have to hit 40 later this year in tip top condition and I find it difficult to hide love handles under lycra if I did not train.

Any vices? I'm not too bad in the discipline stakes although Rachel makes this harder by leaving the last row or two of a block of chocolate around the house. This should be read in conjunction with Rach's summary which will have to list chocolate blocks with the exception of the last row.

Anything else? Bring on Vancouver as we Tridents are going to head to Canada and have a great time in the cold - ehh.

Aniva Cavanagh

Name: Aniva Cavanagh

Age Group: 35-39

Goal for Worlds: Dodge the icebergs in the swim, have a good ride and survive the run. Have a dance with Daniel MacPherson at the after party.

Favourite thing about triathlon: Training with motivated and dedicated people, race weekends away are a lot of fun and the sense of achievement finishing a race of any distance.

Advice for young players: I'm still new to the game so all I can offer as advice is to hang in there and as Coach says be consistent.

Secret training hint: caffeine in any form helps - caffeine GUs are fantastic!!!

What motivates you to train? Achieving goals and to be fit enough to keep up with my sons

Any vices? Bit partial to nice wine so I'm looking forward to checking out the wineries in Canada post-race of course...

Retlaw Compton

Advice for young players: if you have a coach listen and trust (you pay a dentist to do your teeth don't you!)

What motivates you to train? Why wouldn’t you! have a look at the talent that surrounds us at every session , and also to be challenged

Anything else? I would like to use this opportunity thank all Tridents for accepting me over the past 18 months and making me feel part of a great Club, It doesn't matter how you're doing there is always a kind word and a smile.

Ben Gathercole

Goal for Worlds: From a performance perspective, I would like each one of our athletes continue to make improvements but really I would be a happy coach if everyone enjoyed their "worlds" experience.

Favourite thing about triathlon: the chance to meet and work with some very special people

Advice for young players: don't take it too seriously, take your time, learn the sport and develop your training & racing without getting out of balance. Oh yeah, don't buy race wheels unless you really need them -- they are very expensive bling

Secret training hint: a little bit all the time, hook up for training with friends and do because you like it

What motivates you to coach? The chance to help & get to know people -- I hate coaching on the internet. I like to see athletes I work with everyday. You can learn so much by watching and listening to people

Anything else? I think the chance to represent your nation, at an international event, is one of the pinnacles in life's journey. To be selected from a qualifying series, line up and race other athletes in your age group for a World Championship is truly a huge achievement. Next year, the Worlds are in Australia and I hope we will have more than our current 10 Aussie representatives that are going to Vancouver Worlds.

David Hamer

Advice For Young Players - Consistency. Just like the old Pantene shampoo ad used to say - "...it won't happen overnight, but it will happen..." - keep working and keep training consistently and the improvements you are looking for will happen for you. Anyone can be a "hero" and show up and dominate for a session, a week or a training phase - but the real heroes are the guys who keep showing up, keep chipping away at a goal and achieve what they set out to do in the end.

Secret Training Hint - Balance - as in balance in life and balance in training. Triathlon can be an all-consuming, all-encompassing pursuit - so if you can keep the balance between enjoying the sport and not letting it take over your life you will be a much more successful athlete over a much longer period of time. Balance also applies to each leg of triathlon too - all three legs ideally should be as strong as each other - then you will have no real weaknesses and you will be a much more successful, all-around athlete.

Jon Howse

Name: Jon Howse

Age Group: 55-59

Goal for Worlds: Have a good swim and hope to keep my tyres inflated for 40 km ride. Run like the wind (breeze) for 10km and fall across the line into the arms of a pretty medical assistant! ( JR's favourite trick !)

Favourite thing about triathlon: The Tridents gang are great. As well as achieving our goals we have fun and enjoy each others company. There is heaps of motivation and lots of other coffee drinkers!

Advice for young players: You will never know how well you can go till you try. There is a race distance for everyone in the sport. You have to be consistent with the training and have a degree of mental toughness.

Secret training hint: Listen to your body, if you feel you are getting or are sick , back off . This is not to be confused with being slack and just missing sessions because you are lazy and it is cold outside!

What motivates you to train? Ben is a great motivator , also the people that give you heaps if you don't, and the personal achievement of reaching your goals, and striving to do better.

Any vices? Like to buy new bikes hoping this one is faster than the last one (Maybe I should just ride more !) Any lollie produced by the Natural Confectionary company and soft eating licorice!

Anything else? Thanks to everyone who sends messages before races, they are really appreciated and show what a tremendous spirit we have in Tridents ! Good luck to all going to Vancouver it will be good fun !

Jo O'Dwyer

Goal for Worlds: The goal was always to make the team – tick, yippy! My goal now is to make the gap less between myself and those who’ve been getting to the banana’s before me over the last National Series. Improvement – that’s my goal.

Favourite thing about triathlon: Not having to be great at one thing. Great/good/bad swimmers/cyclists/runners can all compete. I’ll always be dragging my sorry butt out of the water last, but it makes for a much more satisfying ride mowing ‘em down! Also, that a late bloomer such as myself can be in a position to represent her country. If you told me 10 years ago I’d have an Aussie Team race suit with my name across the bum, I’d thought you were looney.

Advice for young players: Eat your greens and be good to your mum. Seriously I don’t know, cause I only started doing this as an adult.

Secret training hint: Do it, do it, do it. Don’t show up at training spasmodically and then moan you’re not getting anywhere. Consistent training effort, and doing what coach says, will work!

What motivates you to train? My family. When you are a wife and a mum, you don’t do this on your own. The whole family has to commit. My family supports what I’m doing, and I’d be letting them down and myself if I wasted my training time being unmotivated when I could be spending it with them. I also spent years procrastinating, turning off the alarm and going back to sleep. As you get older you value time so much more, so I try not to waste too much of it.

Any vices? Gee, can’t think of any. Hmmmm….. maybe dark chocolate and the fact that I find Little Britain hysterical (loads of cringe factor – real sick puppies!).

Simon Thompson

Name: Simon Thompson

Age Group: Elite Men

Goal for Worlds: Firstly, to do better than any of my previous attempts since 2004. That means I have to start, not be racing with broken bones and finish better than 29th. If I can get that right and race well I'll be into the top 10 and happy.

Favourite thing about triathlon: The great people involved. Across the board from competitors, coaches, officials, administrators, sponsors, and supporters I've met some amazing people and lifelong friends. Finding out what your limits are and then breaking them is also a thrill that's kept me coming back for more for 17 years!

Advice for young players: Enjoy the lifestyle and the process. Improvement comes when you least expect it so have fun practicing and training and have fun while competing. It always hurts less when you smile!

Secret training hint: Don't get frustrated on the days where you don't feel good. If you can still give your best that's when you make improvements. Work on training your mind to staying focused when you are tired and the body will follow.

What motivates you to train? Getting really fit and being able to swim, ride and run "in the zone" when movement just flows and rolls like it's the most natural thing in the world. Coming through the finish chute for imminent victory and breaking the tape is also the greatest feeling I know!

Any vices? Antipasto with a good red wine. Ice cream.

Anything else? Thanks to everyone that make it possible for me to do triathlon full time. Coaches, service providers (physio, massage, chiro, nutrition, sports science), family, friends, supporters, sponsors. You are all magnificient people that make it great fun.

Michelle Wu

Name: Michelle Wu

Age Group: F25-29

Goal for Worlds: Medal. preferably gold :-)

Favourite thing about triathlon: Too many to mention! For me, it's not just a sport. It's a lifestyle. (although training in Canberra's winter is certainly not a favourite!)

Advice for young players: Make sure it's fun! (and be good to your parents!)

Secret training hint: No secrets. No short cuts. Just 100% pure honest effort!

What motivates you to train? You mean representing Australia, travelling half way across the world, and spending a fortune doing so isn't motivating enough?? haha!! definitely seeing the improvements, challenging myself, and setting and achieving goals :-)

Any vices? I still sleep (and travel!) with soft toys (is that a vice??? :-) )

Anything else? Tridents are the BEST! I'm so proud to be part of a dedicated, fun, professional, and supportive club! Good luck to all heading to Vancouver!

Team Tridents - World Triathlon Championships 2008

Vancouver, Canada

Nevin Agnew