Mark Wilsher – Chair
It all started on a yacht, sailing up the west coast of Scotland ‘Have you heard of the 3 Peaks Yacht Race,’ said the skipper. The following year I found myself on the start line of one of the oldest endurance races in the world. We came second and the adrenaline addiction was firmly planted in me. We decided to do it again the following year so I joined a running club to help with training.
And so the world of running opened up to me and suddenly sport was there to enjoy rather than to endure, as it was at school. In the ever-lasting chase for new PB’s I signed up with a coach, who happened to be a triathlete. After a minor injury 4 weeks before a marathon he suggested I get on my bike and into the pool to maintain fitness while the injury resolved. I protested saying that I’d not cycled or swum seriously since school 35 years earlier but when he saw my speed and pace, he said I was a natural and should switch to Triathlon.
So then I joined the dark side and loved it. Somewhere deep down I knew all along that I would end up doing this so just got on with it. In my first season I won my age group in a few races and qualified for Team GB. After 5 years I’ve done a few long distance races (Ironman) and even qualified for Kona. I love the fact that old gits like me can still compete against other old gits in our own races when we are hours behind the young ones.
Emma Koppe – Vice Chair
Hi, I’m Emma Koppe and have been a member of MTC since 2019.
So how did I get into the crazy world of Triathlon? In fact, any kind of sportiness in my adult life completely surprises me! At school, I absolutely hated sport, was always that chubby kid at the back being picked last and was certainly never encouraged. I did play for the school netball team – as one of the tallest in the year I was able to score goals! Fast forward a good number of years to University in Bath whilst alongside the Science, I actually trained to be a lifeguard and swam a mile everyday – the motivation for this was a job to pay the rent but even so, I have always been a water baby. Cycling and running hadn’t really featured in my life by this point apart from a fold up bike to do a paper round (I have a funny story about that for another day), until I met David – the Welsh cycling other half. Closely followed by the purchase of a trusty mountain bike for my 5mile commute to work in rural Hertfordshire.
It spiralled from there – after pushing myself to the limit on the mountain bike it was time to upgrade. Common phrases that came out of my mouth included ‘how can you ever ride a bike with drops, ‘how can that be comfortable’ and ‘what’s wrong with trainers, I’m not clipping in’. My shiny new purchase was a hybrid bike with flat pedals, which I loved – being absolutely determined that you didn’t need a special bike to time trial I turned up for my debut on my flat bar hybrid in trainers. By the time I got to the finish I was grinning from ear to ear and I was so low on the bike I was chewing the handlebars! But I had done it – my first ever TT and I wasn’t last, I beat my target time and hadn’t embarrassed myself. I was hooked ……and of course that meant a new bike purchase which led to travelling around the country participating in open time trials on crazy busy dual carriageways.
In 2016 my perspective changed after a car driver decided to ignore a junction and plough straight into me on my cycling commute. After a trip in an ambulance, a short stay in hospital, a lot of pain and 6 months of intense physio I was back on the bike but everything was different. My confidence was knocked, my enthusiasm gone, not to mention my form and fitness and for me my outlook changed. It wasn’t about improving my times, getting the latest bit of kit and spending weekends driving to competitions – it became about enjoying my time on the bike, rekindling my love, building my confidence, encouraging others, cycling to new places and to just enjoy myself.
With that came thoughts around Triathlon…..if I could only run? Can cycling legs really turn into running legs (I’m still not sure they can) – after hearing about the Couch to 5K app whilst watching the London Marathon one year I decided to give it a whirl. I was so bad at it that I had to repeat everything multiple times – but I was so chuffed that after 6 months I could just about jog for 30 minutes without collapsing.
So that was it I was now ready to go – when I saw that MTC were running a ‘Try a Tri’ course (2019) I signed up and was overwhelmed by the support and friendliness of everyone in the club, the willingness to share info and the amount of diversity across all ages, abilities, backgrounds and gender – there really was something for everyone it was hard not to fit in. I haven’t looked back from my first sprint tri at Bedford, my first foray into open water, progressing to std tris and half marathons, battling with wetsuits, marvelling at crazy triathlon gear and getting up at stupid o’clock for events! I’ve had my fair share of blunders but also many personal achievements, a bulging trophy cabinet and made some great friends along the way. I also know to avoid aquathlons as without a bike leg I stand no chance. My next challenge is a 70.3 – I’m sure I’ve got one in me somewhere 😊
Alice Barnes – Head Coach
I first started triathlon in 2012 – a friend suggested it and it seemed like a good idea at the time and then the following year our Triathlon England area rep suggested I start a local triathlon club, so I gathered some like-minded locals together and MTC was born. I race actively – currently Aquathlon and Triathlons up to 70.3 (middle distance) and have done so at BTF GB age-group level since 2015.
As well as coaching triathlon at MTC, I also coach para-swimming and a Masters swim squad. The rest of the time I work as an independent swim, open water & triathlon coach.
Triathlon has something for everyone, is great for the mind and body and is full of the most amazing and friendly people. Everyone is really supportive and helpful. I love that you can compete at all levels, distances and speeds and there’s a challenge in each and every race.
Jenni Rodd – Club Secretary
I joined MTC in 2021 to try and find some health and fitness after a recent kidney transplant. I joined as a recreational cyclist who hadn’t run or swum since I was made to by a PE teacher in the 1980s. I was emphatic that I was only joining for the Sunday social bike rides and had absolutely no intention of either running or swimming.
But, I was gradually encouraged (brainwashed?) into trying the other disciplines. Within a year of joining I’d completed couch to 5k, run my first 10k event, finished the RideLondon 100 miler, learned to swim front crawl and finished my first sprint triathlon (slowly). And discovered that I don’t actually hate swimming, I just hate indoor swimming pools.
Elspeth Gutteridge – Treasurer
A latecomer to most elements of triathlon, I find it all quite challenging! It’s all the fault of my doctor for telling me I should do some concussion exercise. Apparently he meant running, not falling off horses, which is what I was more used to doing. So I started on the C25K programme just over 2 years ago, & the rest, as they say, is history. I lacked the willpower to do the training without a goal, and so, having been a club swimmer many many moons ago, I thought triathlon would fit the bill. I entered a super sprint tri (London 2015) & loved it…….once the pain wore off. My nemesis is the bike as I hate riding in traffic & have some weird panic reaction to stopping, but I’m even getting better at that.
Life outside triathlon involves working part-time for Garden House Hospice in Letchworth doing data stuff, keeping the books for my husband Chip’s business, being part-time carer for my 90 year old Dad, and feeding & exercising our 4 dogs, 2 horses & donkey.
Mark Whitehead – Membership Secretary
I’m not just a latecomer to Triathlons but to sport in general. As a musician in the Armed Forces for 30 years we were subject to a fitness test once a year and I hated it! ‘The Journey’ started with running in September 2015 when my wife Helen saw a beginners’ running course advertised at Wimpole Hall. Not wishing to be outdone I said I would go along and support her. When she dropped out through injury six weeks later I had sort of got the bug by then and carried on running, soon getting myself up to 5k, 10k and half marathons and training up to be a Leader in Running Fitness along the way. Helen’s other goal had always been to learn to swim properly. We could sort of swim a bit but only enough not to drown! So, in October 2016 it was off to the pool where we met our coach Alice, currently club Chair, whose skill and patience got us both swimming like we never dreamed we could. One day Alice suggested that as I was running and now swimming I might like to try a triathlon. Funnily enough she knew of someone who had a decent second-hand bike for sale. Laughs and jokes later, after I returned home I gave it some thought. What a challenge that would be! So, in June 2017 I collected the bike and in September 2017 took part in my first sprint tri.
So here I am having completed quite a lot of sprint tris and worked my way up to completing am Olympic Distance Tri. I never thought I would be doing this at my time of life, it is so exhilarating, and the club support is outstanding. Triathlon really can be a sport for us all and OK, I may never be on a podium but I’ve never felt so good trying!
Caroline Baker – Web and Social Media
I started running in 2006 with the aim of completing the Race for Life. My running progressed over the years up to half marathon distance and then a friend suggested that I might like to do a triathlon. I signed up for one 6 months away and then started panicking!
I started adult lessons as my swimming was passable but I had no stamina and struggled to complete even two lengths without struggling for breath. It took a few months before I was confident to do 400m and then I knew I would be fine for my first super sprint triathlon in July 2012. I went on to do a few more pool based triathlons before progressing to open water and completed my first sprint distance triathlon in September 2014. My favourite discipline is cycling and I love triathlon as it welcomes all types of abilities and there is a distance to suit everyone.
Helen Rhodes – Welfare Officer
Hello, my name is Helen and I am MTC’s welfare officer. I’ve always been enthusiastic about sport, just not particularly good at it! At school I had a go at just about everything, hockey, tennis, football, rounders, dodgeball, you name it, I gave it a whirl. Alas, my long, highly un-coordinated limbs did not particularly lend themselves to team sport success, as my PE teachers will attest, but this did not deter me!
When I moved to France as part of my degree course, in a bid to make French friends, I joined an athletics club and finally found something my wayward limbs could actually do (who knew?!) It’s fair to say that from then on in, running has been a passion of mine and I’ve run pretty much all distances including a couple of marathons.
In 2017 I moved to Royston and promptly met my partner David, who was already a member of MTC. David persuaded me I should get back in the pool and dragged me (initially unwillingly!) to Saturday morning swim sessions where I met Alice who revolutionised my swimming.
On a holiday to Slovenia David encouraged (bullied) me into completing my first open water swim in Lake Bled – not a bad venue for an open water debut! – and it’s fair to say I have not looked back. After much nagging from David and my iron man of a twin sister Jenny (who I am not all competitive with!) I finally purchased a bike and joined MTC.
I would describe myself as a somewhat hapless triathlete who has had many a mishap and who does still view the bike as a necessary evil, something I aim to conquer one day!
As your welfare officer, I aim to be a friendly, approachable face who you can talk to should you ever need to. Please do come and say hello if you see me out and about. And if you’re new to triathlon and want to know the mistakes not make, I can give you a lesson or two, as I’ve pretty much made them all!