This week’s Fast Friday features Storm Cooper, a young triathlete currently at TuksSport High School. He is 14 years old and started trying out the sport of triathlon two years ago. In that time he has made a lot of progress with regards to his performance, as well as his attitude. 

The start of coaching

When I first started coaching Storm, he was a very shy and quiet boy, but that soon changed when his confidence levels grew. He likes to challenge himself with his training and always gives 110% in all the sessions I set for him. 

It is this attitude that I believe will get him far in the sport. An example of this is when he competed in the National Duathlon Championships this year.

A hiccup at the Championships

Training for the National Duathlon Championships went well for Storm, and he was going into the race with the right mindset - to race hard and have fun doing so. 

Unfortunately the race start did not go according to plan for him...

As the gun went off, he tripped and fell. This caused him to lose contact with the leaders. Instead of pushing hard and sprinting to get back to them, he kept his cool, stayed calm and stuck to the race plan. 

Sticking to the plan

If he had gone hard to try to catch up to the leaders, he most likely would have blown up on the bike and struggled with the final run. By keeping his composure and sticking to the race plan he managed to gain a few positions and make the second pack after the end of the first run. 

The rest of the race went according to plan but unfortunately the leaders were too far ahead for him to catch them and fight for a podium position.

 In the end, he finished in 8th position - not what we came for but valuable experience was earned and it will be a race that he will never forget.

About Coach Rudolf Naude

Rudolf started triathlon for the fun of it as a 14-year-old. Over the years he developed into a very competitive athlete and has raced around the world at Junior World Champs (21st), U23 World Champs (23rd) the ITU World Cup and World Triathlon Series Circuit.

Rudolf moved up to 70.3 racing in 2014 and has steadily moved up the rankings, taking 1 podium and several top 10 placings in the Pro Category around the World.

Rudolf has developed into one of the strongest 70.3 swimmers on tour, mixes it with the top pros on the bike and is making great improvements on the run.

With a postgraduate Degree in Sport Science, Rudolf has turned his passion for triathlon towards coaching. He was worked with Lindsey Parry since 2008 and continues to grow as an athlete and as a coach.

If you are looking to start triathlon or become more competitive, Rudolf has the skill set, passion and attention to detail that will get you to your goals. Learn more about our coaches here or check out our triathlon programmes and coaching below