JADE JONES
Jade Jones-Hall is a GB paratriathlete, wheelchair marathon racer and an Everyone Active Sporting Champion. Here’s how she gets ahead in paratri
1 FOCUS ON TECHNIQUE
The swim and the racing chair elements of a triathlon are majorly technical. Strength will only get you so far in these and so focusing on getting technique right will speed up your progression. I’m still pretty new to swimming, so I plan specific drills into my swim sets to focus on the different phases of the stroke (breathing, the catch, kicking, etc), to maximise my efficiency through the water.
2 LEARN HOW TO FIX KIT
As well as a bike, we use a racing chair for the run section, so there are two pieces of equipment. The bike and chair almost become an extension of your body when you’re competing. They play a huge role in your performance, especially as a disabled athlete. Knowing how they work and how to fix them is going to be incredibly useful. Coming from an athletics background, I know my racing chair really well, whereas the bike is newer to me, so I’m always looking to learn more.
3 YOU GET OUT WHAT YOU PUT IN
Consistency in training is key for progression in any sport. Planning your training week, with specific goals and key sessions will help you stay on track, to hit your targets. Make sure you also plan in recovery time, as this can be just as important as the training itself.
4 SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE
These are the ones that will help push you when you need it and support you when you need it. Having a positive training environment has a massive impact on performance. I train with my husband, Callum Hall, so that gives me a great training environment, along with some healthy rivalry to push me through hard sessions.
5 ASK QUESTIONS
Sometimes it’s the ‘bad’ races that you learn the most from. I’m still learning in every session and race that I do. I’m learning about myself, and about my competitors and their strengths and weaknesses; so, ask lots of questions to see what other people’s experiences are!
6 ENJOY IT
I started sports when I was 12 because I fell in love with wheelchair racing. Sport is fun, and sometimes this element can be lost when striving for results, particularly when the results don’t come. Don’t lose sight of why you’re here and why you started sport in the first place. Enjoy every second of it.