AMBASSADOR BLOG – JAN AVERY SPOOR – Tri Alliance Triathlon Community

Well, it’s almost the end of the year, and I can’t believe how the last three months have flown! It’s been a busy time for me. Along with the usual routine of work, train, eat, sleep and race, I have also recently completed my Level 1 coaching course in triathlon. This had been something that I have wanted to do for the last year or so, and I’m so excited to have finally completed it.

Why did I decide to become a coach? Well, first and foremost, it’s I role that I believe to be extremely rewarding. Now I’m not new to coaching, teaching or instructing. For the first 15 years of my career I was a dancer and trained professionally with the Victorian Ballet School. I then went on to be a freelance teacher, choreographer and finally owned and operated my own ballet academy for 8 years.

Life changes, babies arrive and your priorities change. For me there was no choice, my children always came first. With a busy schedule throughout these years, I decided to become a fitness instructor, which continued to allow me to help people achieve their fitness goals and to show people how much fun health and fitness can be. It also worked in nicely with running around after two busy kids.

There does however come a time where you find that even that type of role just doesn’t fit in with your children’s lives. Their activities are from dawn till dusk and the only km’s you seem to be doing are in the car, from point A to point Z, or running at 4.30am while number 1 child is training too. I’m sure there are quite a few of you out there experiencing that stage of your life now. However, before you know it, you are where I am now! With my kids grown up, I have come full circle with my life and once again I am focused on achieving my own personal goals and helping others achieve theirs along the way.

I am now three months in and I have had the privilege to work with the very talented coaching team of Tri Alliance Queensland helping out with our regular sessions, as well as being involved with the new beginners group. It has been so rewarding seeing the improvement that everyone has made, and their continued enthusiasm, it really is infectious. I have enjoyed being able to mentor the new members with the little details of what to expect on race day as well as tips and tricks to enjoy the whole experience. Running alongside them at sessions, encouraging them not to give up but perhaps just slow down and to keep on going: that’s what it’s all about. At some stage we all need that little positive motivation to keep us focused on the goals we have set.

It’s easy to give in and give up, the hardest hurdle we face is the one we set before us. To rid ourselves of mental barriers, we need to keep reminding ourselves of how far we have all come from day one. If I can motivate and send a positive word to everyone while I’m out there either as a coach or just as a training buddy, then I have already won GOLD!!!! Every person has a goal to achieve, and if you believe and help them get over that first hurdle of self-doubt and encourage them to move up to the next group, or lead the lane at the pool then you’re helping them out. If you think back, there will always be that someone, a coach or mentor that has made us believe in ourselves and subsequently made us push ourselves harder than we ever could have believed possible. I have the coaches and members of Tri Alliance to thank for helping me out when I needed a nudge, and I’m grateful for it every single day.

On a final note, it would be fantastic if you could join me at Raby Bay this weekend to see our beginners out there on their first race. Let’s all get behind them, encourage them, motivate them, run alongside them and help them get over that first hurdle.