The Women’s Only Triathlon Camp:

This camp will involve training in all three disciplines – swimming, cycling and running. The training will involve: swim sessions in the sea, the CLS lagoon and the 50m pools. On and off road running, as well as at the athletics track. The bike sessions will feature routes across the most beautiful locations in Lanzarote!

How did you create the Women’s only Triathlon Camp?

“I worked at CLS for a year and a half as a Green Teamer. While I was on campus, I went to one of the sports managers and said, “I really think we need to do a Women’s Camp” not to keep women and men separate, it was so women could come on and ask those really awkward questions that they don’t want to ask in front of other people. It’s been running for about 14 years now.

At the camps, I always make sure that I know everybody’s names. In my welcome meeting I learn them and by the end of the first day I know everybody by name. I always wanted people to be an actual person and everybody, even though it’s a group environment, everybody walks away with something that’s specific and individual for them. I’ll always look after everybody on my camps. So I get a lot of people that return and come back because they know they’ll be looked after as their own person as well as a group.”

International Swim Camp for Triathletes:

This camp focuses on the front crawl stroke, improving your technique and swim fitness! All triathletes are welcome from short or long distance athletes over the age of 18. The training includes 2 swim sessions per day, individual video analysis and land and core related training. Evening swim lectures will also be held to provide more in depth information related to training.

When did you start the Swim Camp with Stephen Vuckovic?

“Stephan and I worked on the triathlon camp at Club La Santa when he was a pro and I was a kind of back end of my pro career. He’s German and I’m British and he now lives in my hometown where I grew up – who’d have thought! We started working together before then. We love running the camp and at CLS there is such a community environment and an amazing spirit. You never feel on your own and you can choose to join in and meet people or have a bit time for yourself. It’s just brilliant. It’s such a lovely environment and atmosphere.

There’s something for everyone that’s the main thing, we make sure everyone receives the instruction they need and the people who join are always great. People just want to come back and be at CLS all the time because of the community, it’s just amazing.”

What advice do you have for people who are beginning their triathlon journey?

“When I moved to triathlon, I found it really friendly and I think the best thing about triathlon is as a beginner or a starter, people are always there, even though they might be at a competition and they’re racing. There are always people willing to answer questions, even if you meet people in the swimming pool. There’s always someone who is willing to help you because it’s that really friendly environment where everybody wants to help each other out. My advice to people starting is just to talk to people. You end up finding friends, meeting people, and they can become friends for life and then you it takes you all over the world if you want it to.”

How has your coaching changed since taking part in IRONMAN Lanzarote?

“Being a coach I realized that actually, I’m coaching people to do a distance that I’ve never done, and I had a list of ten questions that I didn’t fully know the answer to. I had an idea from being an athlete myself and having coached people, but I didn’t actually know in terms of experience. So I decided I would do IRONMAN Lanzarote, it was the 25th anniversary and I would attempt to answer those 10 questions that came from my athletes.

So it was to learn and to help the athletes that I coached and to satisfy my own curiosity. It really shows the people who you’re coaching that you’re really passionate and passionate about helping them as well as opposed to “I’m good at this, so I’ll just teach”.”

Did you go to CLS before joining the camps?

“My first time was when I joined the camp in 2001. There were so many to choose from, and they were huge! There were 90 odd people on the camp, that got me into Triathlon and then I turned professional. I spent a couple of years training and then I went back and helped on the Club La Santa camps. Then I started doing my own – it’s just evolved. It’s so lovely to come full circle. You make a lot of mistakes along the way and there are a few mistakes people can easily miss by just having a bit of knowledge. It’s just about helping other people to live their dreams, to meet loads of people and just enjoy the sport of triathlon.”

What do you love most about Club La Santa?

“It’s great to have all the facilities in one place and the warm weather climate. People come back a lot and I think you just end up with a second home / family type, when you’ve got a nice community and you always meet like-minded people, it’s a bit like a home from home. It’s really friendly, it’s got everything you need and the warmth is always a bonus.”