The Barbados Federation of Island Triathletes (BFIT) is pleased to announce the successful completion of the World Triathlon Level 1 Coaching Course by BFIT members Hannah Gill, Nicholas Beckles, Oein Josiah, Philip Gaskin and William Lashley.

Sanctioned by Americas Triathlon, the course was delivered under the Coach Education Partnership Program (CEPP) and was offered to interested participants from the Caribbean resulting in 26 coaches across the region successfully completing the course.  Participating coaches were from Barbados, Aruba, Bahamas, St. Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad & Tobago and Puerto Rico. The hybrid course, which is comprised of online study and face to face learning commenced in May 2024, is designed to provide candidates with the principles and practices of safe and ethical coaching of triathlon sessions to youth, junior and adult recreational participant groups and to provide coaches with the necessary skills and resources to start coaching straight away.

The sessions were delivered over 3.5 months; divided into three structured segments. The first segment for the participants was to familiarize themselves with the content and complete pre-course reading and tasks, followed by facilitator-led sessions and online learning and assignments, and culminating with the coaches having to perform face-to-face coaching sessions in the presence of certified World Triathlon (WT) Coach Facilitators. 

The participating coaches were divided amongst three certified WT Coach Facilitators, one being BFIT Director Darren Treasure who worked closely with the coaches from Barbados and Aruba to help deliver the content, provide guidance and grade the assignments.

Participant Nicholas Beckles has been involved in sports from a young age and continues to stay very active. He possesses an Associate Degree in Sports Management and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Science. Also having recently earned a Level 1 Coaching Certification in swimming from World Aquatics. 

When asked about his experience he responded, “I wanted to push my personal limits and expand my knowledge, especially now that my son is involved in triathlon. I was looking forward to being part of a collaborative environment with peers focused on improving their triathlon skills. The course exceeded my expectations by offering valuable insights into technique improvement, leading to noticeable progress with swimming, cycling, and running skills.”

Philip Gaskin who is a Director of BFIT, a recreational triathlete and runner had this to say, “I signed up for the course to update and enhance my knowledge of triathlon. The course stacked up to my expectations from the safety and having policies that consider the representation and participation of different groups of individuals.”

Garth McIntyre the President of BFIT, expressed “Congratulations to the participants who successfully completed the triathlon coaching course. Your dedication, hard work, and passion for triathlon have truly paid off, and this achievement is a testament to your commitment to excellence. We are excited to see the positive impact you will have on the triathlon community. Keep pushing boundaries, sharing your expertise, and motivating others to reach their goals.”

BFIT has plans to add more coaches as well as technical officials as they strive to introduce triathlon into the Primary and Secondary Schools and one day host an Interschool Triathlon Championships.  BFIT congratulates these individuals on their achievement and views them as valuable assets for the sport of triathlon who will assist us with introducing triathlon into the different communities of Barbados.