Triathlon training for everyone
Mark Turner and Suzanne McCarthy survived two stints in quarantine – one in Brisbane and another in Auckland. With two toddlers.
So, setting up a new business in the current Covid climate is a breeze.
Turner and McCarthy have launched World Multisport Taranaki to train budding triathletes of all ages.
The couple had been living in Scotland, where Turner was head coach for Triathlon Scotland, training elite athletes for international events.
Turner, who is Australian, got into coaching in his early 20s while working as a police officer in Brisbane.
‘‘I was a PE instructor at the police academy in Brisbane for five years and that started my coaching career.
‘‘After I finished in the police service in the early 2000s I started a swim school.’’
He started coaching triathlon fulltime in 2007.
‘‘That’s when Suz and I met. She’s from New Plymouth.
‘‘We started a triathlon squad in Brisbane and built that up to be really successful, coached all levels of athlete from beginners to elite, professional athletes.
‘‘And in 2019 we sold that and moved to Scotland. I loved it, but we left to come back to raise our family in Taranaki.’’
They launched their business last week and will start their children’s programme when school goes back, Turner said.
Triathlon is healthy and outdoors.
‘‘You get fit. It’s running, swimming and cycling, so lots of variety. It’s not just one sport.’’
Surf lifesavers and swimmers are welcome in their swim squad, and they’ll help people train for a marathon, he said.
‘‘Everyone’s welcome.’’
McCarthy has started a group for people who have never run before to get them running 5km.
And she is involved with the beginners’ course, training adults to do their first triathlon.
New participants often assume that everyone else in the group will be much fitter, but the reality is very different, McCarthy said.