I became involved in triathlon in 2004 after many years of toying with what was generally regarded as a ridiculous idea by my friends and family.

Fitness had become very important to me during my recovery from a car crash where I had broken 2 vertebrae in my back along with several other bones on my chest and was completely immobile for several months. I still suffer the after effects of this event largely due to the 4cm of height I lost and the 45o break in my upper back resulting in lost of shoulder and chest mobility affecting my breathing.

It makes me enormously grateful to even be walking and somtimes I wonder I do the things I do. I have since learned to stop listent to he negative voices of people telling you what you can’t do because as a general rule you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

My learning curve was steep and I developed a passion for training and understanding the principals and reasons for what I did. In 2006 When I finished my PhD I trained for 6 weeks and flew out to Western Australia to do my first Ironman event in Busselton. Ironically I dis not find my 9hours 13min finish very satisfying, I guess I made one too many mistakes and was frustrated.

I soon forgot about that and did several more long distance events with more success first in Austria 2008 where I finished 10th in 8hours 35min then at Challenge Roth 2009 finishing 13th in 8hours 23min. Both of these were Scottish records at the time.

All this time I was still working as a research scientist and beginning my coaching career. After a very busy year marred by injury in 2010 I made a comeback to racing in 2011 with a number of domestic wins and 11th at Challenge Barcellona in 8hours 43min. While my fitness had improved in the interim it seemed I had forgot some of the lessons I had learned back in Australia.

Triathlon now forms a key part of my life both coaching, training and competing and I want to share the pleasure and satisfaction it has brought me with everyone I work with.