IMPORTANT NOTES

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UWA Sport 📷

The Presidential Platform

Hello team! 

Last month we had lots of excitement with the club smashing it at the UWA Sport Awards. Grant was awarded Coach of the Year, Phil received a Club Letter and the Club won as Club Champion for the first time in its more than 25 years of history! We are incredibly grateful to all the people who have been part of the club's story. This award is a reflection of the commitment of our members and committees over the last 25+ years, contributing to the triathlon and sporting communities in Western Australia.

Let's make sure we celebrate these accomplishments at the upcoming Christmas Party on Sunday 6th December. Please let us know if you are coming by clicking 'Attending' on the Facebook event you can also send me an email if you are not active on Facebook. The committee is getting food sorted, all you have to do is BYO and perhaps bring a camping chair or picnic blanket to ensure you are comfy. Please let us know ASAP if you have any dietary requirements. 

Club Champs is happening early next year, remember we need a minimum of 20 participants for the club to be eligible for the trophy. Last time I checked we were short by 6, we can do this team! There is always a great atmosphere, good racing and the opportunity to recover that trophy that for so many years stayed with us.

The current swimming registration period is due to conclude on 19th December. The pool will continue to open for public swimming up to the 24 December and will reopen on Monday 4 January. The Enduro Fit program will recommence for the Summer season on Monday 4 January. The cycling and running sessions on Thursday 24 and 31 December will not run. All Steve's other sessions will continue throughout this period. 

We've been very lucky to have Oggi as part of the committee as the student representative. Oggi is finishing his degree this year which means we are looking for a current UWA Student club member who can fulfil this position. Being part of a club committee is a great opportunity for further developing valuable skills including verbal and written communication, time management, working as part of a team and leadership while participating in safe and nurturing environment. Have a chat with Oggi if you want to know more about the role and send us an email if you are interested in getting involved. 

Early next year Alison will be coaching a group of enthusiastic beginners as part of the TriActive Program. Have a look at all the details below. I'm sure we all know someone who would like to give triathlon a go so now is the time to share this information with them! 

Given this is the last newsletter for the year, I also want to take the opportunity to wish you all a nice holiday season, I hope you get to enjoy delicious food while enjoying the company of your loved ones. 

I'll see you at Christmas Party! 

Gaby Villa 
President UWA Triathlon Club

What does the science say?  

8 tips to avoid dehydration leading into training as an athlete

The impact of dehydration with merely a 2% body weight drop due to fluid losses (mainly sweat and respiration), has been shown to impair exercise capacity.

This only worsens with greater fluid losses as blood volume and cardiac output is reduced therefore impacting oxygen capacity and delivery to the working muscles.

Have a look at the tips

If you have any recent discoveries you would like to share with the club just send them through!  

TriActive UWA Sport Recreation and Fitness Centre

TriActive UWA Sports Recreation and Fitness Centre is a twice weekly, group-exercise program for beginner triathletes. Run over six weeks, the program is designed for people who want to increase their levels of exercise through swim, bike and run.  TriActive is perfect for adults who would like to take on a new challenge of triathlon, but don't really know how to get started.

Dates: 
Two sessions per week, Tuesdays and Thursdays commencing Sunday 14 February. 

Tuesday 6:30pm - 7:30pm Swim Sessions
Thursday 6:30pm - 7:30pm Spin/Run Sessions

Coach: Alison Smith

Cost:
UWA Students $155 
Non-Students $190 

Both prices include facility access, coaching, welcome seminar and short term (8 week) Triathlon Australia membership.

Entry to the City of Joondalup Coastal Quest (28 March 2021) is not included. 

Registrations Close: 11 Feb 2021

Follow this link for further information 

COVID-19 Contact tracing 

From 5 December 2020, the following businesses will be required to maintain contact registers for the purposes of WA Health Department COVID-19 contact tracing, should it be required:

• food and licenced venues (restaurants, cafés, bars, pubs, taverns, nightclubs)
• gyms, indoor sporting centres and pools.

The WA Government has developed a free digital contact register app called SafeWA, as an efficient and safe way to record patron and visitor contact details where they can check-in, using the app.

UWA Sport will be implementing this QR code enabled solution, registering all venues and setting up a QR registering station at appropriate entrance points.

A manual register will also be implemented to capture those unable to use the digital option.

You will see these registers as you enter UWA Sport venues and we seek your support to ensure all Club Members and Visitors are abiding by the contact tracing requirements.

Let's make sure we all do our part to keep each other safe. 

All about... Paul Thompson!

1.   Tell us about yourself? 

I am 54 yo, married to Robyn with 3 children aged 17 (Lottie), 20 (Nick) and 21 (Sam). I went to UWA where I did a B Comm and then became a Chartered Accountant whilst working for one of the large local Accounting firms. I left Perth in 1991 with a backpack and a few friends intending to travel to the US & Europe for 6 months, however I ended up settling in London, meeting a Perth girl, getting married, having 3 children and we all returned to Perth 21 years later with a 40ft container full of possessions and many great memories. Robyn and I lived overseas from 1991 to 2012 in London, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong and whilst overseas I was working mainly in Banking & Finance. I am now a licensed real estate agent and have recently started my own business. 

2.    How did you start in triathlon and when did you join the club? 

I can vaguely recall my first triathlon was the Corporate Cup triathlon in Fremantle in about 1990. I can't recall why I started in triathlon other than I probably enjoyed training for the three disciplines and I wanted to be fit and healthy back then and this seemed to tick those boxes. I did a few more short distance triathlons around the early 1990's and then triathlon did not cross my radar again till about 2002 whilst I was living in Japan, when I got back into triathlon with a few local and expat colleagues. We moved to Singapore in 2003 where cycling and triathlon was very popular and haven't really stopped training for any great length of time since, although post returning to Perth in 2012 I have really scaled down my training and racing due to a lack of motivation and change of priorities. As strange as it may seem given Perth is such a fantastic place for training, the outdoor pursuits/lifestyle, training and general set up in Singapore and Hong Kong was very conducive to training and racing and this is where I met a lot of similarly minded people and eventually 'got the bug' to challenge myself with the longer triathlon distances of Half and Full IM races. Whilst living in Hong Kong, I did 5 Ironman races (including Hawaii in 2009 which is the obvious highlight of my triathlon career) between 2009 and 2012 in times varying from 9.41 to 11.46 and about 10 Half Ironman races from 2007 to 2012 in times varying from 4.25 to 5.30. I dont think I have raced longer than a Sprint distance race since returning to Perth in 2012.. I think my priorities must have changed!

I joined the UWA TC around 2013/2014, however I did not really get involved in the training or racing with the club till around 2016/17 when Nick and later Lottie joined.
 

3.    What do you enjoy most about the sport? 

Undoubtedly I love the training and the associated physical and mental wellbeing benefits and the amazing friendships, camaraderie and friendly rivalries the sport brings. I have met so many fantastic people via Triathlon/Cycling in Asia and Perth and those friendships will last forever (I hope).

4.    Favourite leg and why?
Its definitely not the run.. I think its probably the bike as I love the training and social aspect of riding. Riding in HK with the hills and mountains made me into a half decent cyclist way back then. I have recently signed up for the charity ride "Ride for Youth" from Albany to Perth via the SW coast in March 2021 so that's one of my main training goals at the moment. 
 

5.   Best triathlon tip

I am not sure it qualifies as a tip or not however the best IM result I ever had was based around doing more swimming and having a power meter on the bike so I didn't trash myself before I started the run. That day in Busso in 2010 I managed to run a 3.35 marathon (fast for me) with this strategy and all my other 4 IM marathons have been in the range of 4.30 - 4.45 as I generally I got carried away and went too hard on the bike and thought I would just "hang in there" for the run! 

6. What’s your next goal?

I dont think I will ever do another IM, however my goal this season is to stay injury free, do a few local races, complete the Ride For Youth charity ride and hopefully do the May 2021 Half IM with some other UWA TC athletes.

7. Best triathlon memory 

Running down Ali'i Drive in Kona in 2009 with my kids (see attached) and also again crossing the finishing line about 4.5 hours later after a long and difficult day.  It was my slowest ever IM time as I was ill in the lead up and on the day but no matter the time or the result that day, it can never be taken away from me and I am very sure I will never get another chance at that race. I will never forget the lead up, the race and the emotion afterwards.

2020/21 Club Races

Calendar for the 20/21 triathlon racing season has been released and we couldn't be more excited. These are the races we have chosen for this season: 

Triathlon WA Memo: Member and Competitor Behaviour

Good afternoon clubs and coaches

It has been brought to our attention that there has been some recent occasions on which athletes involved in Triathlon WA sanctioned events have spoken abusively and disrespectfully to volunteers, Technical Officials, event organisers and staff. We wish to make clear that we do not support this kind of behaviour and reiterate that such behaviour is in no way aligned to the values of Triathlon WA and will not be condoned or accepted in any instance.

It is important for all our members to keep the Triathlon Australia Code of Conduct in mind at all races and other triathlon-related events, and to treat everyone with respect and dignity at all times. This allows all those in attendance to have a more enjoyable experience, protects our volunteers and event organisers (such as yourselves) and ensures that the integrity of our sport is maintained. Respect is a core value of Triathlon WA, and it is expected that members of our triathlon community treat each other with respect, participating and adjudicating fairly and honestly, acknowledging differences in ability, and encouraging differences of opinion.

Latest race reports

Now new ones this month

New Hamish Delorenzo - Busselton 70.3 Alberto Puccini - Bunbury Olympic Distance Older Tony Smith - Great Southern Ultra Challenge Gaby Villa - 70.3 Los Cabos 2019 Alison Smith - ITU Lausanne 2019 Justin Ghosh - 70.3 Philippines Rahul Jegatheva - Aquathlon Nationals All race reports

📷Tony Smith

Have your own race report to share? See the website for some instructions on how to send it through.

Take the 2020 UWA Sport Survey 

This is your chance to tell UWA Sport what you think of their programs, venues, events and more. Whether you're a regular customer, or you've never heard of them before, they want to hear from you.

Once you've completed the survey, which won't take long, you will entry into the prize draw to win one of two Fitbit Inspire 2 devices, valued at $175 each; plus, all survey respondents will receive a discount code to use at their online shop. 

Follow this link to the Survey
Take the Survey

HELPFUL PLACES TO FIND INFORMATION

** See official UWATC Facebook page for most up to date information

** See swimming Facebook page for swimming specific info

** See the UWATC website for training and payment information and season calendar

** See Facegroup group 'Who wants to go (for a swim/ride/run)' for uncoached/informal group sessions

** See UWATC Strava group to check what training everyone is up to

** Any queries/feedback, message via the official Facebook page or email committee@uwatriathlonclub.com.au