Each year we witness outstanding performances from individuals within our sport, and each year our sport benefits from exceptional contributions made by volunteers, officials, coaches, administrators and event organisers.
This Sunday 12 April, Triathlon Australia will recognise and honour those individuals responsible for the success and growth of our sport.
Three of Triathlon WA’s most promising have been named as award nominees, with winners being announced at Sunday’s Celebration of Champions awards dinner.
For his outstanding performance during the 2014 Commonwealth Games Triathlon Team Relay, Ryan Bailie has been nominated for Individual Male Performance of the Year. Bailie’s combination of talent and great leadership also sees him nominated for Athletes Athlete.
Jaz Hedgeland has been nominated for the Chris Hewitt Emerging Athlete award and Mike Gee for Age-Group Coach of the Year.
For Gee, being named an Age-Group Coach of the Year nominee provides some positive reinforcement.
“As an athlete I wanted to be the best I could be and that hasn’t changed as a coach. Being recognised with this nomination shows that we are on the right track,” said Gee.
Gee has coached triathlon since 2008, the same year he began racing as a Professional Triathlete.
In 2009 the promising long-course athlete suffered a badly broken hip during a training ride. The prognosis was not good, with Gee being advised he would be unlikely to run again.
“Being told that provided the motivation needed to focus on a comeback,” said Gee.
It took two years for Gee to return to racing at the top level, and in 2012 he won the title of WA State Long Course Champion after his performance at Ironman 70.3 Busselton.
During the two-year recovery and rehabilitation period following the broken hip, Stadium Triathlon Club provided Gee with the platform to begin a coaching career and in 2012, after his success in Busselton; he launched a High Performance program for the club.
“I saw a need from our members who were progressing through the sport and I wanted to offer a service that encouraged them to stay with the club,” said Gee.
It was only eight days after launching the program that a car hit Gee during another of his training rides, this time causing a broken neck and back.
Once again, coaching would provide a much-needed outlet during the recovery and rehabilitation period.
Remarkably, the resilient athlete returned to racing in January 2013, less than five months after the accident. However, it was in May of that year that Gee was struck by a debilitating virus, leading him to retire from professional racing and focus on coaching full-time.
It is Gee’s ability to cope under extreme pressure, remain positive in the face of adversity and defy his own odds that has inspired so many of his athletes to strive in the sport. It is his coaching intelligence, knowledge of his athletes and ability to adapt his proven training methodologies to suit unique situations, that contributes to his success as a coach.
“Being a self-coached athlete it’s very hard to be objective as you’re emotionally committed to what you’re doing,” said Gee.
“Once I retired from competing I had time to assess how I did things and what I could have done better.
“That reflection and time to better assess the athletes I coach has led to quite a few changes,” reflected Gee.
Now operating under his own brand, Pursuit Coaching, Gee coaches all levels of abilities, from age-group World Champions and Professionals through to relatively new athletes to the sport.
“Every athlete is different so finding out how to get the best out of each of them is a challenge,” said Gee.
“When you see the work they put in to chase a goal and achieve that goal, that is the most enjoyable part about coaching.
The Triathlon Australia coaching awards recognise triathlon coaches who have demonstrated a commitment and dedication to coaching Australian triathletes, and who have helped Australian triathletes to achieve significant competition success at both the age-group and the high performance level.
Gee’s list of 2014 Athlete Achievements certainly qualifies him as a worthy nominee for the AG Coach of the Year award. With two World Champions, a National Champion, ten Ironman and 70.3 AG wins (and eight podiums), a Top-4 Kona finisher, thirteen State Champions and almost twenty athletes competing at the various World Championship events, it’s obvious that Gee has found his calling in coaching.
Yet the humble and unassuming coach attributes the success to a solid partnership with his athletes and the wider support from his squads.
“It’s definitely a team effort built on time, honesty and trust,” acknowledged Gee.
Triathlon WA is also well represented in the Elite Athlete award categories.
Bunbury’s Ryan Bailie had a stellar 2014, with the highlight being his scintillating performance in Glasgow during the Commonwealth Games.
Bailie was the fourth and final athlete to complete the Team Relay circuit, and the pressure was on to chase down a podium position for the Australian team.
While the physical challenge of competing at that level is obvious, the mental strength required cannot be underestimated.
“Nobody remembers who comes fourth,” were the words on repeat inside Bailie’s head.
“I did also have something whispered into my ear before I dove in – It’s all up to you big man,” words that the lightning-fast athlete relished during his chase for bronze.
While Bailie now shines on the world stage, the highly regarded athlete attributes much of his success to the support he received as a junior in Western Australia.
“I owe a lot to Triathlon WA and the Triathlon Excellence Program (TEP) back when I was a junior, as they gave me so many opportunities to purse the sport of Triathlon.
“Without the support network they provided I very much doubt I would be where I am today,” said Bailie.
Even with the outstanding support behind him, you’d be wrong to assume triathlon has come easy for the world-class athlete. Like so many triathletes, Bailie was not a fan of the swim.
“I absolutely hated swimming, especially the 1km Time Trial which was a requirement to be included in the TEP squad.
“On numerous occasions I missed the swim cut-offs by seconds and still to this day don’t get along with a 1km TT in the pool,” said the Bailie, who has fond memories of racing in the TWA State Series.
“I loved the State Series. Pushing myself against the likes of Sean O’Neil really forced me to improve as a young junior coming through the ranks, as I was racing fully grown men,” said the humble athlete.
Nowadays Bailie is pushing himself against the world’s best, including the formidable Javier Gomez and Great Britain’s Brownlee brothers.
“They have set the benchmark and have changed the sport since the three of them have been around – especially the Brownlee’s with the way you have to be able to swim, bike and then run very fast if you have any chance of winning.
“It’s pretty cool to be racing against these guys in this era as I see them as a once in a generation type of athlete,” said Bailie.
Also looking to leave an impression on the triathlon world is WA’s Jaz Hedgeland, a nominee for the Christ Hewitt Emerging Athlete award.
Hedgeland got involved with triathlon in 2004 after watching the Athens Olympics triathlon event on the TV and being inspired to give it a go.
“Mum and Dad joined me up to a local tri club, now Fremantle Triathlon Club; when I was 9 years old and I’ve loved it ever since,” said Hedgeland who to this day is still a member of Fremantle Tri Club.
Selected into the National Talent Academy when the program began in 2012, Hedgeland’s first taste of a big event in an Australian team was the 2013 Australian Youth Olympic Festival Triathlon, where she claimed victory.
“Although it hasn’t been my biggest race to date, it’s one of the most memorable moments,” said Hedgeland.
“Winning gold was a great feeling, but the other parts like the training camp in the lead up, being a part of an opening ceremony, racing in a relay team, and meeting international athletes made it such a memorable experience also.
Hedgeland was recently announced in the 2018 Commonwealth Games triathlon squad, alongside Bailie and fellow West Aussies, Kenji Nener and her sister, Kira Hedgeland.
The immediate focus for Hedgeland is competing at the U23 World Triathlon Championships in Chicago in September.
“Further down the track, I’d like to step up the ranks and compete in higher level international races. Like with every elite athlete, my long-term goals include competing at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games,” said Hedgeland.
As with Gee, Hedgeland sees this award nomination as reinforcement that things are on track.
“It’s no surprise that one day I want to be the best triathlete in the world. However there’s a lot of steps to get there and many hours of hard work,” said Hedgeland.
“To me, being nominated for this award is like one of those many steps, like a pat on the back letting me know I’m heading in the right direction.
“I’m so grateful to be recognised for an award like this and it’s good motivation as well to keep chasing my goals,” exclaimed the grounded athlete.
Also being honoured at the Celebration of Champions are our World Champion athletes, including 2014 ITU Paratriathlon World Champion (PT3), Sally Pilbeam.
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