Triathlon coaches train in SA

NAMIBIANS Abraham Louw and Charmaine Shannon returned from the eight day African Junior Coaching Camp, hosted by the International Triathlon Union in Potchefstroom South Africa, from 3 to 10 December. Charmaine served on the coaching staff to expand her knowledge and skills to develop the sport of triathlon in and among Namibian youth. Abraham was one of the many young talented triathletes who had the opportunity to get to know each other better while learning more about triathlons as a whole and to start living an Olympic 2012/2016 dream which is very possible for any African country.

Abraham is currently training in Potchefstroom at their High Performance Centre. He is the top junior swimmer in his region and has a lot of potential to excel in triathlons, from his current position as Namibia's top junior, to possibly a junior elite champion at the Junior Olympics in 2012 or 2016. The camp was great fun, but also took a lot ofhard work and dedication from both athletes and coaches.

Eight days off training in the conditioning ofa triathlete, skills and technique training in all the fields of triathlon including swimming, cycling, running, transition, nutrition, psychology and physiology took place. 16 athletes from seven African countries started ofas strangers with the same interest and love for the sport. They left as friends and comrades to keep their dream of becoming triathlon's best (even if it would only be best in their country), alive and active. The sport is very demanding and requires love and a spirit of determination, perseverance and a can-do attitude.

Anyone as young as 4 years up to 104 can take part in the sport. Triathlon in Namibia is not very big at this stage, but it is growing among the youth (pre-juniors 6 to 15 years) as well as adults who participate in the sport for fun. Charmaine's T-Rex Triathlon Training Tribe has been running since 2005 when she returned from Canada where she received her first certification for Development Coaching. Fruit & Veg City has been supporting races and camps by providing fruit packs for all race finishers and prize money for podium winners.

Attendance ofchildren at Iron Kids triathlon races grew from eight at a race up to 40. The structure is growing. In 2008 children will have the opportunity to enroll at the T-Rex Training Tribe, receiving reduced coaching fees, free entry to events and much more. Currently there are a group of six TRex Iron Kids who train once a week using triathlon specific games, strength and conditioning, race simulation, motor skills, agility, balance, co-ordination, speed and much more.

There is also a junior group for participants of 11 and older who will start training 2008. These T-Rex triathletes are the future of Namibia's podium places at the Olympics. They start right at the bottom, work up slowly to juniors, racing once at an Energade in S.A. and at African championships for experience. The rest of the racing are at the Kids ofSteel Races in Windhoek and Swakopmund, as well as at the Mariental African Cup. This is the long term plan for the current T-Rex Training Tribe.

The ITU host an African Junior Camp every year in one of the seven African countries now affiliated to the ITU, who were also present at the Junior African Camp: Zimbabwe, Tunisia, South Africa, Namibia, Nigeria, Mauritius and Kenya. Namibia has tentatively been nominated for the next Junior African Triathlon Camp in December 2008. For any questions or interest to learn more about triathlon, to join the T-Rex Training Tribe Youth or Teen Program, contact Charmaine at 081 2462767.