Elise eyes the top in triathlon

ALTHOUGH only new to triathlons, Pearcedale’s Elise Clayton already has the fire in her belly.
The 15-year-old Frankston High School student starts triathlon with huge amounts of success in country and steeplechase running under her belt.
Clayton has been swim training for years, but never focused on competitive swimming – and nor has she ever really competed on the bike – so she loves the challenges that triathlon offers.
She came eighth overall in her first mini-triathlon last year, competing against much more experienced competitors – some of whom were years older.
As a new competitor in the sport, Clayton jumped at the chance to attend a Melbourne 2006 Future Athletes Program session at the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) on Saturday, 11 February to learn more about everything from competition technique to diet and nutrition.
“It was great to learn more about the sport, both from the experienced coaches who spoke to us and also from the other people who were there,” she said.
Coaches from the Victorian Institute of Sport and State Sporting Associations have been running sessions for the Future Athletes program for the past year as part of the State Government’s ongoing efforts to make the most of the Commonwealth Games and build more healthy and active communities.
VIS head triathlon coach Jonathan Hall said he used the session to broaden awareness about triathlon, while also creating a bigger development base for triathlon in Victoria.
“At this session we worked through the fundamentals that are often overlooked at a grassroots level,” he said.
Hall said the benefit of using the Future Athletes Program to build up Triathlon Victoria’s junior development squad was the opportunity to see athletes that were yet to be properly educated in performance and equipping them with the skills and the attributes to become elite triathletes.
Hall hosted the session along with Emma Carney, who has more than 12 triathlon national and world titles to her name.
Although Clayton is still competing in athletics, she’s very happy with her results as a triathlete so far. She’s interested in improving her personal performance and enjoying the social side of competing in triathlons.
“I’d love to get to the elite level, although that’s a long term goal for me,” she said.
“For now, I’m happy to keep getting better and enjoying the challenges and fun that comes with competitive sport.”
Clayton trains at least eight times each week – riding and swimming once a week with a squad and running three times with a squad and three times on her own.
This weekend the Future Athletes Program travels to Geelong, where about 30 budding triathletes will be taken through their paces.