About the club

The Committee

Written by Administrator Wednesday, 14 February 2007 09:41

The club committee is elected once per year at the AGM. For 2012 they are:

Club President Kirsten Sinclair
Kirsten has been a member of Edinburgh Triathletes since 2004, being Vice-president for the last 2 years before becoming President this year.  She has competed in 3 World Championships at both Sprint and Olympic distance and completed Ironman Austria last year.  As President, Kirsten sits back and lets everyone else on the committee do the work!!!"

Vice President Gavin Calder

Club secretary Francesca Osowska

has been a member of Edinburgh Triathletes since 2000 and has competed at all distances from sprint to ironman.  Her best achievement was 11:08:28 at Quelle Challenge Roth in 2006.

Francesca has been secretary of the Edinburgh Triathletes committee since 2006 where she annoys the rest of the committee with her organisational demands.

Treasurer Greg McDowell
keeps the club accounts in order

Coaching Director Steve Law
Steve coordinates the coaches, making sure that cover is found when required. One of his main tasks is to email out the weekly training schedule. He also manages the training section of the website, making sure that the information about all the coached sessions is up-to-date.

Racing Director John Whittaker
John's responsibility is to liaise with race directors of the club open events (Gullane, NYD, Aquathlons) and other local events that have an impact on the club (other Edinburgh races). He also organises internal club races and ensures they fit in with the coaching plans. John is also one of our most experienced coaches, taking the Monday track sessions.

Communications Director Phil Parr-Burman
Phil is responsible for all aspects of communications to the club, in particular the editing of TriBull, your club magazine. He has been a member since 2002 but did his first triathlon in 1983 - possibly longer ago than anyone else in the club? Best triathlon performance was beating both brothers in the Chester Triathlon in 2007.

Membership Secretary Andrew McMenigall
Andrew is responsible for all things associated with people joining the club, rejoining the club and liasing with triathlonScotland over their membership.

Club Welfare Officer Clare Halpenny
Clare is responsible for ensuring that relevant club members (e.g. coaches, event organisers and volunteers) understand what they have to do with regard to child and vulnerable adult welfare, in the context of the club’s activities.

Social convener Liz Richardson
Liz is one of ET's social conveners, responsible for enticing members away from their training sessions and sports nutrition and getting them out on the town.  She is highly qualified for the job, being better at drinking than triathlon.

Webmaster Richard Kirby
Richard maintains the website, and work is about to start on a site refresh. Richard has over 30 years of mucking about with computers. Not quite so long on triathlons though - although he has completed all the standard distances, including an Ironman in Germany back in 2007.

Some history about Edinburgh Triathletes

Written by Administrator Wednesday, 18 February 2004 12:29

Treble Chance

(An article from the local Edinburgh press, 1986)

Many people caught up in the mass marathon boom of a few years ago are slowly returning to more sedentary lives. But for some, even the rigours of a full-blown marathon aren't taxing enough. Continuing our series on minority sports in the Edinburgh area, Jane Curr reports from a triathlon club training session. For most people running a marathon is an achievement in itself. But some city folk choose to prolong the agony by adding on a swim and a cycle as well.

These fitness fanatics are members of Edinburgh Triathlon Club, who have been swept along on a tide of enthusiasm for this increasingly popular sport. The club was formed four years ago by veteran marathon runner Andrew Grant, vice- president of the Scottish Triathlon Association (STA), who organised the first Wester Hailes Triathlon. Triathlons can be of varying lengths but all involve a swim, a cycle then a run.

A special triathlon suit has been developed which can be used in all three events: Andrew observes that the changeover is so important that it's often called the 'fourth discipline'.

At present the Edinburgh club has about 25 members, many of whom are quite long in the tooth. 'It's an older person's sport', said Andrew. 'Veteran' Dougie Brown has a simple explanation, 'You get dafter as you get older!'

Both Dougie Brown and Andrew Grant came from the marathon circuit to the triathlon via some swimming lessons: neither of them could swim! But they find the triathlon less exhausting and rigorous than the marathon. 'In the triathlon you're using all your muscles rather than having the constant pounding on your legs', Andrew explained, 'Marathons were injuring my body too much I still compete in road races but over shorter distances.

And it's not a sport solely for men. Gill Laurie recently took up the triathlon when she gave up hockey. 'The triathlon suits women because they have better endurance power. They're naturally better at distances' she explained.

Even for swimming the club frequently engages in swims in the Forth - no swimming pool needed! The club holds triathlon training sessions at Glenogle swimming pool on Wednesdays at 8pm and Fettes College on Saturdays at 11:30am. For more information contact Andrew Grant 031-xxx-xxxx.

(Please note that the above details are no longer correct this many years on, try here for up to date contacts!)