coachjohnnewsom - ABOUT JOHN

John Newsom - triathlon coach

My first experience of triathlons was as a part of a team triathlon at the age of 15. From this initial experience I went on to win my first NZ Junior triathlon title at age 17 and moved through the representative ranks competing at World Championship and Word Cup level then on to Ironman success.
From my first day in the sport I have been surrounded by the best athletes and coaches in the world. This has helped me develop as an athlete and as a coach. Over time it became very clear that every athlete develops in different ways. If you give two athletes the same program one may improve 25% the other may only improve 10%. It is for this reason that I prefer to only offer personalised coaching. I limit the number of online athletes I work with to a maximum of 20.
The coaches that have had the biggest influence on me have been Dr John Hellemans who guided me as a young athlete to international success along with Gordo Byrn who has highlighted to me what is possible by complete and total devotion to the sport. Some of the athletes I have trained with over the years include World Champions such as Bevan Docherty, Debbie Nelson, Jenny Rose; Olympians Craig Watson & Ben Bright and Ironman legend Scott Molina just to name a few. These athletes all train in different ways but there are some underlying themes such as desire, determination and commitment.

As an athlete I spent considerable time in Europe racing on various circuits as well as frequent racing in Asia. I have coached at the Hong Kong Sports Institute working with the national team and I now manage the New Zealand Multisport & Triathlon Centre, organise and manage Epic Camp and coach full time. I am also involved in the High Performance Program with the New Zealand Triathlon Association.

My coaching philosophy is to keep aspects of training relatively simple and not over complicate training schedules.

I have an excellent knowledge base to offer athletes and if I am asked a question I don't know the answer to I have the resources at the NZMTC to get the answer. I am happy working with athletes of all abilities and training for any distance. All you need is a deep desire to reach your goals.

I also believe I am able to offer a balanced view on training for those who have other commitments (work, family, social life etc). I have a wife and two young children, my own business, a considerably amount of voluntary work, a social life and a garden that needs tending to - plus I like to train and race seriously every few years.

You can find out more about me by listening to my weekly podcast www.imtalk.me

Coaching credetials

2011 New Zealand Triathlon Coach of the year
Certified NZ Level Two Coach
Involved in the New Zealand High Performance Coaching Program
Coached at the Hong Kong Sports Institute
Full time coach with the New Zealand Multisport & Triathlon Centre

Ongoing Education

Triathlon Coaching Conferences with the NZ High Performance Coaching Programme
Coaching conferences with the Academy Canterbury Coach Development programme
Working alongside other international coaches on various training camps

Some career highlights:

Ironman 70.3 Hawaii Overall champion 2017
Sub 9hr Ironman performances at Challenge Roth 2008 (8hrs51mins) & 2017 (8hrs54mins)
Kona qualifyer as a pro (2005) and age group athlete (2014)
Challenge Wanaka 2007(Iron Distance) 3rd 9:06
Ironman New Zealand 2005 10th Overall 9hrs 4min
3rd Japan International Long Distance Triathlon 2001
Multiple wins on Asian Cup Circuit 1998 - 2000
2nd Laguna Phuket Triathlon, Thailand 1999
1st Geradmere Triathlon, France 1999
1st Strasbourg International Triathlon, France 1999
3rd New Zealand Elite Champs 1998

Receiving the 2010/2011 New Zealand Coach of the year award from Triathlon New Zealand