I moved to Geelong from Texas in July of 2013. Within the first week of moving here I had met Stephane and he had a program worked out for me by the next week! Stephane got me ready for the 70.3 World Championships in Las Vegas that September through the cold Geelong winter and then started me on the buildup for Ironman Melbourne in March. Stephane has an unwavering and fierce determination for the athletes under his guidance. It starts with a true belief in each of our potentials and then follows it through by his daily commitment to each athlete. Stephane is truly excited by seeing each of us reach and exceed our goals.
When looking for a triathlon coach you should look for a few key things. Here are three things I was looking for and found with Stephane:
1. A tailored individual plan. There are a ton of generic training plans out there… Stephane will develop a plan that suits your current fitness, racing schedule, work schedule, family schedule and any injury. He will adapt it week to week and even day to day to get the best out of your current situation.
2. Feedback. In fact, Stephane is more often than not trying to get more feedback back from us the athletes. The more feedback you give him the more you get back. Often coaches have to many athletes and it is easy to get lost in the shuffle. This is not the case with Steph!
3. Face to face time. Stephane is out there with us almost everyday and every session. He is at the pool, the track and on all the long rides. He will personally drag you on a 200km ride if he needs to! This face to face time is invaluable as he can see in real time how your fitness is progressing or not.
I managed a 45 minute PB at Ironman Melbourne and qualified for the 70.3 World Championships again at the Auckland 70.3, all under his guidance. He has also nursed me through an achilles injury this winter. So, if you want to get results, work hard and spend time with a great group of people look no further!
