Inspiring me to Tri: Mary Hardwick

I first met Mary Hardwick back in 2009 when on a flight to Australia to support Will in the GB age group worlds, Mary was sat beside us. I remember her words of encouragement that I could also do the same and truth be told, this is what I did in 2010.

here is an interview with Mary Hardwick who has recently set up Inspire 2 tri with her partner in crime Gail Warner. their combination of experience and dedication and fitness will make their company a very successful one :)

Inspire2tri- what is it all about?

Well Kerry, I jokingly call it my ‘retirement dream’ but it’s not that far from the truth! ‘Inspire2tri’ is a brand new coaching, training and fitness venture that grew from the shared passion of myself and my business partner, Gail Warner, to help people to realise remarkable sporting and fitness achievements from any starting point in life. Having competed at a decent level for most of my life in a whole range of individual and team sports and battled with the familiar challenges of injury and ‘real life’ commitments, the people who motivated me to succeed shared two common traits – a ‘personal touch’ and an incredibly infectious enthusiasm. If we can do the same for all of our clients in future then we will be two happy people!    

What is your favourite session to coach?

I think this has to be a pool session based on learning to develop and hold an even pace. You know I have a bit of a ‘bee in my bonnet’ about the importance of good pacing, but I honestly think it’s the critically important skill for a triathlete to have. We have a whole host of training aids when we’re running and cycling to give us constant feedback that keeps us in that optimal aerobic zone, but once we get into that long swim we have to rely on our own internal clocks and so learning to ‘set those clocks’ to the optimal pace and holding can make all the difference to your race.   

Proudest moment as a coach?

This is a no-brainer. It has to be when Gail qualified for the GB Age Group Team for Eilat having only learnt to swim and ride a bike four months earlier! I was actually at the medal ceremony for the Worlds Age Group in Beijing when the qualifying race started and so as soon as I’d got my medal I dashed outside to get on the phone and find out how it was going. I think this was when I mentally made the transition from ‘competitor’ to ‘coach’ and realised that, whilst I’m not likely to stop competing any time soon, my priorities are certainly changing!

Favourite place to swim/bike/run?

Can I have two please?! The most memorable is definitely the Gold Coast in Australia for my first Age Group World Championships. The sheer size and ‘buzz’ around the event, not to mention the glorious weather made it an unforgettable experience. But if we’re coming closer to home it just has to be Rutland Water and the Dambuster and Vitruvian Triathlons. Great scenery, challenging bike course and beautiful running around the water – so lucky to have this on our doorstep.

Most memorable moment in Triathlon?

You’re probably expecting me to say when I won a race or got a medal but it’s actually none of those. We were sitting on the start pontoon in Budapest Worlds about 30 second before the gun went off for the Sprint race and the weather was appalling. Everyone was shivering with a mixture of cold and fear and the Australian competitor next to me looked across and just said ‘can I have a hug please!’ I think this says it all about the spirit that exists in Triathlon even at every level.

I am struggling with confidence as a triathlete, what wise words would you say to me?

You will never be alone!! Triathlon is a hugely technical sport and very few people are really good at every discipline but it’s what makes it such fun and will keep you coming back and back to try and get better. Be sure to set your own goals and celebrate your successes however small and you’ll be well on your way. 

Where do you see Inspire2tri going in the future?

Goodness, that’s a difficult question when we are only just getting started! Maybe the best way I can answer that is by saying where I don’t see Inspre2tri going. We have no desire to become a Triathlon Club: We want to help and support local clubs, not compete for members. We are also absolutely committed to staying small and personalised as this is what we are about and what drives our passion. Otherwise, we’re open to wherever the journey takes us that makes sense for us, our clients, and our long suffering families that are supporting us wholeheartedly in this exciting new venture!

Any future goals as a triathlete?

I guess winning the double gold in Beijing was about as ‘good as it gets’ but I don’t see myself giving up competitive triathlon any time soon as I love the challenge of training and the buzz of competing although it will probably be a bit more tempered by coaching commitments (notice I didn’t use the ‘age’ excuse!).

Could we see you taking up long distance tri?

My heart would just love to have a go at an ironman to just see if I really could do it, but my head and most other parts of my body, as well as my new business partner are telling me it’s not a very sensible idea! I have a much admired Age Group Triathlon friend (Peggy Crome) who is planning an ironman for her 70^th birthday and so I haven’t totally given up the idea of following her example as it gives me a bit more time to think about it!

What is your number one triathlon tip for a beginner/novice triathlete?

HAVE FUN! Maybe you were expecting words of ‘technical’ wisdom, but honestly, everything starts from just enjoying the experience and finding out what you really do when you put your mind to it. I’m not saying it won’t be challenging both physically and mentally but take time to learn, enjoy the camaraderie and set yourself little goals along the way – then go celebrate when you achieve them!

What inspired to you take up triathlon?

Well, I’d not been doing too much sport for work reasons and took up running in 2000 to lose some weight and rediscover what ‘fit’ was like. I remember my first 5 mile run – I had to go to bed afterwards and couldn’t walk for several days! Several marathons later my knee decided enough was enough and as part of the rehab I bought a road bike. I hadn’t been in the pool regularly for over 30 years but as that was also low impact it was an obvious addition to the exercise routine. Add back a little bit of running and a triathlete was born! The rest is history and I wouldn’t change it for the world, so good luck to all aspiring triathletes out there and just remember –it’s never too late to do your best and ‘remarkable results really can come from real lives’!

Many thanks to Mary for taking the time out of their busy start up to answer my questions! (And also for swim analysis this week! Picture above!)