Athlete story
Alecia Barnard
From a first Ironman 70.3 to qualifying to represent her country at the T100 Championship—all while building a life, career and sporting strength across countries.
I started working with Telani through her online coaching programme in September 2024, just two months before my first Ironman 70.3 in Bahrain. What started as a bit of an accidental entry into triathlon has turned into a journey I never could have imagined.
What makes Telani’s coaching so special to me is that she coaches the person, not just the athlete. I have a demanding full-time job, family and social commitments, travel regularly and have relocated countries during the time we’ve worked together. Life doesn’t always fit neatly around a training plan, and Telani understands that. She constantly adapts my programme around what is realistically happening in my life, while still keeping me moving forward.
Her attention to detail is incredible. She analyses every workout through TrainingPeaks, keeps a close eye on my fitness, fatigue and performance, and makes adjustments based on what my body is actually telling her. I never feel like I’m simply following a generic programme. There is always a reason behind what I’m doing.
One of the things I didn’t expect when I started triathlon was how much the benefits would carry over into my other sports. I’m also an equestrian athlete and actively compete at major shows. Because I work abroad, I don’t get nearly as much time in the saddle as I used to. Yet the strength and fitness I’ve built through Telani’s training have actually taken my riding fitness beyond where it was previously.
My horses are kept fit and in training, and I can quite literally get on after not riding for two months and go straight back to business without feeling like I’ve missed a beat. That would never have been possible for me before. The strength, stability, cardiovascular fitness and overall conditioning I’ve developed through triathlon have become incredibly complementary to my riding and have allowed me to continue competing at a level I love, despite the reality of living and working abroad.
I experience something very similar with surfing. It’s something I absolutely love, but realistically I may only get to surf once a year. Yet when I do get back in the water, my body feels ready. I’m not starting from scratch physically. It’s almost like getting back on a bike after a short break: the fitness, strength and confidence are still there.
Telani hasn’t just made me fitter for triathlon. She has built an incredibly strong and resilient body that allows me to enjoy and perform in the sports that are important to me.
And then there are the results, which honestly were never the goal.
My strength and fitness have improved beyond anything I thought possible, and in two years I haven’t had a single overtraining injury. Last year, I qualified to represent my country at the T100 Championship in Qatar at the end of 2026. That achievement still feels slightly surreal because I never started this journey with aspirations of reaching that level.
For me, triathlon has always been about enjoyment, feeling strong and seeing what my body can do. The racing achievements have been an unexpected bonus that have come from consistently building the right foundations.
There have been plenty of challenges along the way: moving countries, demanding work, travel, illness and the normal curveballs that life throws at you. Through all of it, Telani has helped me find a way to keep training that is sustainable, enjoyable and makes me feel good.
Beyond the technical side, Telani has become such an important part of my journey. Even though we coach remotely and don’t see each other often, I genuinely feel supported every step of the way. She celebrates the good days, gets me through the difficult ones and has an incredible ability to keep me motivated without ever making training feel like a chore.
I honestly don’t think I would be doing what I’m doing today without her. She has given me the confidence to push my own boundaries while making sure I never lose sight of why I started in the first place.
I’m incredibly grateful for her knowledge, dedication, encouragement and, above all, for the belief she has had in me throughout this journey.
What started as a hobby I stumbled into by accident has become one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. And the fact that it has made me stronger, fitter and more capable across all the sports I love is something I never could have anticipated when I first signed up.
I have Telani to thank for a huge part of that. ❤️