This raw, lengthy (2h45m!) and in-depth interview with Simon Lessing, 5-time ITU World Triathlon Champion - and Head Coach, Paul Newsome's former training partner - is over 18 years in the making and over a decade since he gave his last audio interview, so be ready for something really special as we dig into the following areas:
- Simon's background growing up in Apartheid South Africa - what he witnessed and experienced and how this shaped his early years
- His coaching role model, David McCarney, and his first experiences with swimming one of the world's most prestigious open water swims (the Midmar Mile) at the tender age of 9yrs old and how his stroke technique (which he also terms "Swinger" interestingly enough) really suited him well for open water swimming. We discuss the importance and relevance of this vs the commonly held view that many people are blinded by aesthetics when it comes to understanding what truly makes someone economical in the great outdoors
- Moving to Europe to race the prestigious French Grand Prix series but the reality and brutality of doing this on zero funds with very little support which Simon attributes positively to his approach to his "do or die" attitude to having to commit and do everything possible to make the best of his talents, hard work and opportunities
- A run-down of his 5 ITU World Triathlon titles starting in 1992, through 1995 (x2 - Standard and Long Course), 1996 and 1998. Simon also finished 2nd (and denied a 6th title) in a sprint with the Kazakhstan athlete, Dmitry Gaag, who was later banned for the use of EPO
- Arriving in the UK and how he wasn't universally accepted as being "British" especially up against his great rival, Spencer Smith, who between the two of them, won 8 world titles throughout the 1990s. Simon's mother is British and he is always proud to claim that he never raced for any other country, including his birth country of South Africa. It's easy to look at the 2009 to 2016 period in British triathlon history with the dominance of the Brownlee Brothers and say "that's when Britain really took off in triathlon!" but that would in fact be totally incorrect - Simon's supreme dominance in triathlon over every distance over a period of 20+ years is what truly paved the way and gave everyone in Britain the belief that we could be a true force on the world scene
- Moving to Bath University as part of the World Class Performance team as funded by the National Lottery in '98/'99 in the build-up to the 2000 Sydney Olympics Games. How effective was this move? How effective was the environment? Was it necessarily the best place for Simon to have been? How did various personalities and agendas play out in arguably the world's leading triathlon training facility at that point in time. Simon's raw and unfiltered look at this period is highly refreshing and gives Paul a wee kick up the bum to boot!
- Preparing and racing the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. What was the new draft-legal environment like? Did it suit Simon? What was the game plan? How did it unfold? History shows Simon's place of 9th overall was a huge disappointment for himself and everyone that supported him (including Paul Newsome on his couch in Bath with his student mates - including a young Leanda Cave - watching in eager anticipation in the wee hours) and Simon candidly digs into this whole period as we also reflect on the adjustment to Simon's training methodologies to prepare for what was essentially a brand new sport (draft legal) where everything was very new tactically
- Life after competing and what Simon brings these days to the athletes that are lucky enough to be coached by him
You can read more about what Simon is up to these days at www.bouldercoaching.com It is with great appreciation that we thank Simon for this excellent interview!
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