IMPORTANT NOTES

______________________________________

Brenden Koh 

The Presidential Platform

Happy New Year! 

Club Champs is this weekend! I can't think of a better way to start the year. Looks like it will be the biggest event in a long time and I'm sure that the club will do great. Thank you to all who registered and to Alberto for gently reminding everybody to ensure their name was on the start list. We will have a small BBQ at the end so please make sure to stick around, also please invite your friends and family to spectate, especially those who have been thinking of trying triathlon, we know some people fall in love with the sport just from watching. 

Speaking of giving tri a try, the next couple of months will be full of opportunities for it! We will appreciate your support in spreading the word out. We all know how fabulous triathlon is and that there's no better place for starting than UWA Tri Club  - I'm sure one of your work colleagues or family members could be interested in joining. 

• Come & tri week. Running from Monday, 11 January 2021, Come & Tri Week is a chance for you to give your local club a go. You'll get a free 14-day trial membership to Triathlon Australia, access to club training sessions, and the opportunity to train with Triathlon Australia accredited coaches. More information here 
• Tri-Active Program. Alison will be coaching a group of enthusiastic beginners as part of the TriActive Program in partnership with UWA Sport and Triathlon WA. The program commences on Sunday 14 February. Have a look at all the details here.
• Discounted membership fees. The discounted option commenced from January 1, 2021, and will run through until June 30, 2021 -  with 35% off the regular membership price, it’s the perfect way to kick-start 2021. This offer is only available for new Triathlon Australia members. More information here. 

The above also means that it is likely we will see a few new faces around training, let's make sure we help our new members feel welcomed 

We will be doing our Tuesday and Thursday training sessions at Alderbury Reserve until further notice. It is likely we will be able to go back on the track in February but please keep an eye out for the updates confirming this. 

I hope you all have a fantastic year full of PBs, great training sessions and good health. 

I'll see you on Sunday! 

Gaby Villa 
President UWA Triathlon Club

What does the science say?  

Understanding pain and what to do about it

Have a look at this article covering the difference between acute and persistent pain and the factors that contribute to the pain experience. A 5-min interesting video is also included. 

Read article 

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 

Rockingham Foreshore Event Staff

TWA are seeking Event Staff to assist with the Foreshore Triathlon Rockingham, taking place on 31 Jan 2021. They have a number of paid positions available:

• Course/Area Managers
• General Event Staff

Hours of work include

• 8:00am - 2:00pm on Saturday 30 Jan for event set up AND
• 5:00am - 2:00pm on Sunday 31 Jan for event delivery and pack up.

If you or any of your club members may be interested or would like additional information, please email ashleigh.apps@wa.triathlon.org.au

All about... Gaby Villa!

1.   Tell us about yourself? 

I'm the President of the UWA Triathlon Club, I've been in the role since May 2019 and I absolutely love it! I'm originally from Saltillo, Mexico. I moved to Perth in February 2016 to do a Master of Health Science at UWA. My original plan was to go back to Mexico after completing my degree however, I didn't expect fate to come as a surprise to me, and that same year I'd meet Aaron who has since become my life partner. That's how the two years I planned to live in Australia became four and counting... 

I'm the sports nutritionist at IntensEATfit, my main focus is nutrition for triathlon. My mission is to empower triathletes to find the best version of themselves and accompany them on their way to achieving their goals. I feel very fortunate to have my profession and my passion both linked together. 

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

I commenced as a swimmer, I have a very active family full of gym enthusiasts and runners. One year a cousin convinced us to form multiple relay teams in the family and to register for a triathlon in Saltillo, we ended up with 4 teams in total. This was more than 15 years ago and since then I ended up in love with the sport. I continued participating in triathlons every year but it was not until I was doing my bachelor's degree (2008) that I formally commenced training for it. I joined the UWA triathlon club as soon as I arrived to Perth and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I love the club's athmosphere and the training sessions. 

3.    What do you enjoy most about the sport? 

Definitely the people that I get to meet. My closest friends are all triathletes both back in Mexico and here in Australia. Despite being an individual sport, triathlon can be very social and it has given me the opportunity to meet like-minded people despite all of us having very different backgrounds. 

4.    Favourite leg and why?

That's a difficult one. I think I enjoy each of them in their own particular way. I see each of the training sessions as an opportunity to look after my mind and body so even though some of them are hard, I find enjoyment from each of them. Except for the skills' sessions, they don't bring peace to my mind haha... 

5.   Best triathlon tip

Enjoy the process and the results will come, some of them not as quick as you hope. It took me a while to understand the importance of being patient, it is easy to set ambitious goals and get so fixated on them that the entire process becomes a sacrifice or battle to get there. Also, do not underestimate the power of the 'invisible training' - looking after your nutrition, your sleep and your mental health is very important to ensure the training is as efficient as possible. 

6. What’s your next goal?

Going back to cycling at least 2 times a week. Last year my life got busier so I decided to back off the training a bit and focus on staying active and healthy rather than competitive. This meant I had to decrease my cycling significantly. I'm working on establishing a new schedule so my bike and I can make a comeback very soon

7. Best triathlon memory 

Representing Mexico at a World Championship was a dream I always had in my mind and it became a reality in 2018 when I participated in the Gold Coast ITU World Championship. While I was running on that blue carpet carrying the Mexican flag towards the finish line I felt a bunch of memories that contributed to me getting to that moment: me doing that first enticer triathlon, my family, my friends... I couldn't help but feel proud and grateful for all the things that took me there. 

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.

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