West Midlands

Meet the athletes

Want to find out more about Great Britain's elite stars?

Get to know some of British Triathlon’s elite squad and hear about how they got into triathlon

West Midlands Regional Academy

West Midlands Triathlon Academy is the home of the most talented young triathletes and paratriathletes from the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.

The Academy offers fantastic opportunities and experiences for athletes to grow and develop in their sport and continues to go from strength to strength, both in the calibre of young athletes it attracts and in the quality of coaching support those talented athletes receive throughout the year.

The Academy aims to create an environment which allows athletes to explore and enhance their learning by giving them opportunities to make decisions when it really matters. This is supported by the coaches through guided challenge and discovery allowing athletes to become more independent in their learning. West Midlands Academy expects athletes to understand the Athlete Development Framework (ADF) and its importance it plays on their triathlon journey. Throughout the year the Academy runs a rich and varied programme that exposes athletes to a wide range of opportunities and experiences, with the aim of developing young athletes into well rounded individuals.

To find out more about how Academies work please read our Academy Handbook here.

To find out more about how selection works and for our points calculator please look here.

Invitation to Sponsors

The West Midlands Region continues to be a hot bed for developing talented young triathletes and your support would be extremely valued.

West Midlands Academy is currently funded and supported by:

  • Sport England (via Triathlon England)

Providing the best possible support to our talented young triathletes is our goal, but as ever, one of the limiting factors is available funds, as we still rely heavily on parental contributions to ensure we continue to provide the highest quality experiences.

If you or your company are able to contribute funding, services or equipment, and would like to be part of a dynamic, engaging and fast growing support, as well as assisting in the development of some of the nation’s top young talent, please get in contact with us.

Contact

Dean Hughes - Midlands Academy Lead 

Tel: 07719 386447

Email: midlandsacademy@britishtriathlon.org

 

Midlands Academy Selection 2023/24

The Midlands Academy Selection Trials are now open and will take place on;

Sunday 1st October 2023 - Tudor Grange Leisure Centre, Solihull B91 1NB.

AND

Saturday 7th October 2023 – Leicester Cycle Circuit, North Car Park, St Oswalds Road, Leicester LE3 6RJ.

Applications must be received no later than Sunday 16th September 2023.

 

SELECTION PROCESS – APPLICATIONS

We are looking for athletes who will be aged between 12-19 on 1st September 2023, and have a realistic ambition of achieving the required standards (see below) for their age on the trials day. Those applying to the Academy must be at least Youth A aged 15-16yrs, Youth B 17 and Junior 18-19 for the 2024 season – in the year of competition (January - December).

Development squad athletes must be aged 12 - 16, on 1st September 2023.

All applicants must be current members of Triathlon England with either  East or West Midlands declared as their region on the membership database. Applicants must reside in the East/West Midlands or belong to an East/West Midlands affiliated club.

A number of factors will be used to select athletes, including; performance at the trials, 2022-23 race performances, conduct, commitment and potential to add value to the Academy training environment.

Other than in exceptional circumstances, existing members of the Midlands  Academy are expected to attend the trials, and will be assessed against the same criteria, as well as their involvement in the Academy process during the 2023-24 season.

Applications will be reviewed, and selected athletes will be invited to the trials and notified by Monday 9th October 2023. If an applicant is unsuccessful at any stage of the process, they will receive some brief feedback and guidance from the Academy team regarding their next steps.

To apply please complete the application form below by Sunday 16th September 2023.  

https://www.britishtriathlon.org/east-midlands/regional-academy/selection-trials#:~:text=19th%C2%A0September%202022.-,APPLY%20HERE,-Regional%20Academy%20Selection

 

STANDARDS

 

Athletes score points based on their swim and run times in the time trials. As a guide you can calculate your points score using your short course swim (25m pool) and track run times here.

The standard of athletes selected onto Regional Academies nationally continues to rise, and the Midlands consistently develops some of the highest calibre of athletes in the country. As an indication of standard, the current Midlands Academy squad would all score a minimum of 320+ and Development squad 300+ points under the current system.

Athletes who do not meet the above standards, but are interested in pursuing triathlon further are encouraged to join their local club.

Selections are based off performances at the trials and performances in the 2022-23 season.  Following this day, the final selections will be made.

 

For 2023-24 there will be 2 levels to the Midlands Academy.

1. Full Academy member.

2. Development Squad member.

 

Full Academy members are reserved for the highest performing athletes, with full access to:

  • All training day opportunities and camps
  • Training advice and assistance
  • Race support

For the Development Squad, it is anticipated that this group will provide opportunities to those athletes who are aged 12-15 years and are either:

  • Too young for the full Academy
  • Are just below the required performance level and/or
  • Are new to the sport and require further development in order to progress to the above level

Development Squad will consist of 8 -10 training days and other opportunities throughout the year and will mainly focus on skills required for racing at an elite level.

Selection for BOTH the Academy and Development Squads will be made using the same process, so if you wish to be considered for the Development squad, you MUST complete the same application.

Places on both squads will be reviewed in March 2024, and will be conditional on commitment to the triathlon programme, progress, performance and value added to the Academy training environment.

Athletes are required to notify their acceptance of a place on either the Academy or the Development Squad to the Midlands Academy Lead within 48 hours of the offer being received.

Athletes who accept their offer are required to sign and uphold an athlete agreement; failure to adhere to conditions of the athlete agreement may result in being asked to leave the Academy.

 

Thanks to our Partners

Join Us

And enjoy insurance benefits, race licensing and more...