Building Pacific Triathlon Talent: A Week of Purpose, Progress, and Community in Fiji.

In December 2025 I travelled to Nadi, Fiji, and had the privilege of working alongside Oceania Triathlon, World Triathlon, and PacificAus Sports for a development initiative that genuinely showcased the future of our sport in the Pacific. Supported by the Australian Government through the PacificAus Sports partnership with the Australian Olympic Committee, this programme brought together athletes and coaches from across the region for a high-performance training camp, an Aquathlon, and the World Triathlon Development Regional Cup.

Triathletes of the Pacific.

From day one, the effort and enthusiasm from the athletes stood out. Many arrived from different corners of the Pacific, each with unique challenges and circumstances, yet all sharing the same hunger to learn, improve, and represent their nations with pride. Their attitudes made every session — from technical swim work at sunrise, riding in a bunch —  single and double pace lines, flying mounts (and dismounts!), transition practise and races, with various swim-bike combinations in the heat — a rewarding and purposeful experience.

Turn right at the Mangrove.

The coaching team played an equally important role and where supported by development facilitators from around the region, the week had a strong atmosphere of collaboration. Everyone brought something to the table: experience, insight, humour, patience, and a shared commitment to building capacity within the sport. As coaches, we weren’t just delivering sessions; we were contributing to a long-term framework designed to strengthen triathlon development for years to come.

Watch out for the resident cow.

The structure of the week gave athletes multiple layers of learning. The four-day high-performance camp laid the technical and tactical foundations, the Aquathlon on 13th December provided an early hit-out, and the Development Regional Cup on 14th December offered valuable international racing exposure. You could see the progression in real time — sharper skills, stronger pacing, better race awareness, and growing confidence with every day that passed.

Early morning run - early morning smiles.

Alongside this, the “Coach the Coach” programme ran in parallel. This was a brilliant opportunity to work with local and regional coaches, share knowledge, and help build sustainable coaching capability across the Pacific. Strong athletes need strong coaches — and this initiative put equal importance on both, which is exactly how development should be approached.

Pre ride/race "M-Checks," a must before every ride.

For me personally, it was a privilege to contribute as part of the coaching team. The energy across the week reminded me why I’m passionate about endurance sport and development work. When athletes and coaches from across several nations come together with genuine commitment and a willingness to learn, great things happen.

Pre/Post flexibility & mobility - an often overlooked necessity.

My thanks go to Oceania Triathlon, World Triathlon, PacificAus Sports, the Australian Government, and everyone involved behind the scenes. Most importantly, thank you to the athletes, Kate and coaches who turned up every day ready to graft, learn, and support one another. The Pacific has some outstanding emerging talent, and if this week was anything to go by, the future of triathlon in the region looks very bright.