| On the weekend, I had the pleasure of watching | | | | set up in the boat. As well, we used meditation |
| a wonderful race at the Mooloolabah ITU World | | | | techniques to help us relax after training, used |
| Cup Triathlon for the women. The eventual | | | | brain wave altering devices to promote the "alpha |
| winner of the race was Vendula Frintova and she | | | | brain wave" state to maximise our recovery. We |
| is coached by Darren Smith, a valued client of | | | | did visualisation exercises daily and used script |
| Athlete Assessments. In fact, Darren had three | | | | writing to reinforce our understanding of the race |
| of his athletes finish in the top five with Kate | | | | plan and to make us more adaptable to changes. |
| Roberts from South Africa and Sarah Groff from | | | | We attempted to leave no stone unturned. In the |
| the USA (and his forth athlete competing was | | | | end, we won a Bronze Medal. Not what we |
| also in the top ten). It does not get much better | | | | wanted. However, I have learnt doing all the |
| than that. | | | | above and having a mentality of searching for |
| Watching the race, reminded me of how sporting | | | | anything which can give us an additional 0.1% in |
| success is all about ensuring every little detail | | | | performance was what enabled us to win the |
| which contributes to winning results is executed to | | | | Bronze. Had we not trained this way, we would |
| the best of your ability. The reality is, every | | | | have come fourth. |
| athlete in the race has a professional coach, | | | | When you spend time with Darren Smith and |
| scientifically proven training program, bikes and | | | | hear him talk about his program, what becomes |
| equipment worth thousands of dollars, access to | | | | so clear, is the degree to which he is searching |
| the best nutritional information and has discovered | | | | for the 0.1%ers. I guarantee Darren is doing |
| ways to improve the mental side of their sport. | | | | things that most other coaches are not doing. |
| Having these big ticket items in place enables an | | | | Now, I am not going to give away his secrets in |
| athlete to stand on the start line knowing they | | | | this article, but I can say with great confidence |
| are not at a disadvantage. They can feel | | | | based on our work with Darren and the |
| confident. Of course, if every athlete has these | | | | thousands of coaches from all different sports, all |
| elements in place, then success is a result of how | | | | over the world, that Darren is doing things |
| well each factor is executed on a daily basis. | | | | different. It is not always going to mean his |
| One of the most challenging aspects of being a | | | | athletes win, but it always means they do better |
| professional athlete is the degree to which an | | | | than if they did not train this way and have this |
| athlete chooses to train and prepare themselves | | | | philosophy of looking for the 0.1%. |
| to the highest possible standards. What I mean by | | | | Each of Darren's athletes understands themselves |
| this is that it is not just a matter of having the | | | | and Darren understands them well too. This |
| before mentioned elements in place, but critically, | | | | enables him to customise his approach to coaching |
| the degree to which you maximise their value. For | | | | them and to develop the most effective race |
| example, eating the correct food during training, | | | | strategy for them. We are not saying this |
| being correctly hydrated, having recovery food | | | | improves their performance by 10% or even 1%, |
| available post training and races, ensuring your | | | | however, it is just another example of a 0.1%er. |
| race food is effective and the list goes on. Each | | | | We believe knowing this information about your |
| element in the athlete development program has | | | | athletes can significantly improve their |
| a series of levels which most athletes do, but only | | | | performance over time and perhaps what is most |
| the very best athletes take each element to the | | | | important is the fact that Darren's athletes know |
| highest possible level and only the champions | | | | he is looking for every tiny edge he can find. |
| search out new ways to extract the last possible | | | | Having a coach with this philosophy gives his |
| 0.1% gain. | | | | athletes a level of self-belief in themselves and |
| I vividly recall the efforts we went to in our | | | | their preparation and we all know this is vital to |
| attempt to win the Gold Medal at the Sydney | | | | success. |
| 2000 Olympics. We executed our physical training | | | | Ultimately, how well do you know yourself and |
| to above "Gold Medal" standard each session, we | | | | your athletes? If there is a chance you could |
| used prototype boats which were longitudinally | | | | improve this, even if only by 0.1%, it is worthwhile |
| and laterally stiffer, had fins fitted to the hull which | | | | - particularly as it is such a critical and impactful |
| were hydro-dynamically more efficient, | | | | area. |
| biomechanically perfected our individual and team | | | | |