Our Member of the Month for April is Armadale Triathlon Club founder, Alex Barron! Alex wears many hats and juggles many roles. He is a husband and dad, a coach, an athlete, a race director, a Club President and consistently contributes to our WA triathlon community.
We had a chat to Alex to learn more about his sport journey, his family and community connections, and his life outside of triathlon.
ALEX’S TRIATHLON JOURNEY
How did you first get into the sport of triathlon?
I always love this question, I had been participating in endurance running events up to half marathons for about 6/7 years, and was getting a bit bored. I actually saw a Facebook ad two weeks out from the City of Armadale Duathlon (at that time run by Tri Events). This was really a big push from the fellas upstairs. I didn’t know what a triathlon was, and hadn’t swam or ridden a bike since graduating high school. Dad had an old school aluminium avanti laying around, and a week before I did a mock duathlon to make sure I could do the distance. The week after I literally fell into the world of triathlon, and haven’t looked back. My wife Cherie likes to joke that it wasn’t part of the contract she signed when we got married.
Do you follow a structured training plan, or do you adjust things week to week?
Over the 7 years it’s been a bit of everything. Right now it’s a bit of everything. Being a Development Coach now certainly assists with this. However, I’ve done the “download a free program off the internet” and squad sessions and leading into Ironman 70.3 World Champs in St George, Utah, then backing it up with my 2nd attempt at a Full IM in Busso in 2022. I worked with Brett Johnson to achieve some specific things and take the stress of planning off my plate. I’d certainly recommend anyone that’s looking to go further to seek the services of a Development Coach or higher and discuss what they can do. Just remember that not every coach suits every athlete.
Which is your favourite leg of triathlon, and why (swim/bike/run)?
Coming from a running background, there’s no surprise it’s the run. Knowing that it’s the last leg, and you’ve probably already depleted everything you got left and just trying to dig deeper and keep powering on til the end, it’s the biggest battle of every triathlon no matter the distance.
Is there a particular race or training moment that stands out as especially memorable or meaningful?
Having been to three world championship events, the atmosphere you experience when you are there and in the moment is really like no other. However, completing my first IM in 2022 especially after bombing out the year before was just so memorable.
What song is always on your training playlist?
I mostly like to be alone with my thoughts, because there’s no better place to solve or process issues than while out on a long run. However I don’t think you can go past Eye of the Tiger by Survivor or Thunderstruck by AC/DC in terms of pump up hits.
What’s the funniest or most memorable thing that’s happened to you during an event?
How about no recollection at all??!! Crashing out of the Xterra Dunsborough MTB leg with just less than 2k to go, on my 29th birthday. I still have no idea what happened and woke up in the back of the ambulance.
What goals or plans do you have for the upcoming season?
Maybe a Busso 50 appearance. I did toy with a 70.3 but obviously missed that deadline and it was probably going to be a bit of a juggle anyway. Mainly it’s just getting some consistency back in regards to training.
ARMADALE TRIATHLON CLUB & LEADERSHIP
As founder and President of Armadale Triathlon Club, what do you enjoy most about leading your community?
Seeing people succeed. We’re a club that embraces all levels, whether you’re a complete amateur or a professional athlete. We’ve coached athletes that couldn’t swim when they started and people who never thought that they would complete their first triathlon. It’s rewarding.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced as club president, and how did you overcome it?
I think being young was one of the biggest challenges, as I was 26 when we first started planning the club. The other challenge would be proving that an inland town can support a triathlon club when most events take place on the coast.
What makes the Armadale Triathlon Club special, and what are you most proud of?
I think the thing that makes us special is that we do our best to cater for everyone and every ability. There’s definitely times where we don’t succeed, but we’ll have our best shot. I think what I am most proud of is building a community that is willing to push each other and achieve dreams and goals together. I am also proud of delivering our first Twilight Triathlon this year, and we hope it continues to grow larger each year. While the Twilight Triathlon was a great initiative, if there was something else that I would like to see us implement in the future it would be all abilities coaching.
What does community mean to you when it comes to triathlon and club life?
Community means banding together and standing with each other, and we’ve certainly seen that grow this season with more and more of our members (and parents) helping out to deliver our events.
What skills or insights from Triathlon WA do you bring into your leadership with Armadale Triathlon Club?
Triathlon WA has previously conducted club professional development around conflict management, organisational planning and others that have been valuable.
What advice would you give to someone considering stepping into a leadership role within their club?
I would recommend them to look into it, work out what is involved. Sometimes it can look intimidating from the outside. The best thing they can do is find a mentor whether that is someone who was previously in the role, already on the committee or totally external. Generally you’re stepping on to a committee and there are others to share the load.
FAMILY AND BALANCE
What does your family life and home life look like right now?
The last 22 months have been an absolute whirlwind. I’ve just learnt to embrace the chaos and seize the moment, because life is pretty nuts at the moment.
We have a toddler (little André), my wife and I are both working full time, I’m still running the club and our events, and we’ve recently moved back in with my wife’s parents because we’re selling our house. The plan is to buy acreage to build our next long-term home.
Your wife, Cherie, also works full‑time as a teacher. How do you both support each other to manage such a busy household?
It’s hard work, Cherie went back to work 4 days a week 6 months after André was born, and this year dropped down to 2 days a week, but life is probably more hectic than ever. It’s a big balance and we’ve had to learn to what needs to be prioritised which is mostly what makes us run as a family. Then we squeeze in everything else.
What’s your favourite part of being a dad in this current toddler stage?
Seeing André grow and develop, and hearing his giggle really just melts my heart.
Your own parents are heavily involved in the Armadale Triathlon Club; how has their support shaped your triathlon journey?
Honestly without their support I don’t think I would still be going in triathlon, and Armadale Triathlon Club would not be where it is today. They have been pillars of strength throughout each and every step. From the beginning, to volunteering/working with RTC and now building and growing ATC.
What do you hope André will see or learn from being around triathlon and the club community as he grows up?
There’s a lot of things that I hope André learns from being around the environment. Firstly, he learns the size of his village, and we’ve seen that this year from him joining me on the pool deck while coaching, and both the Armadale Tri Club & Rockingham Tri Club community looking after him while I get the opportunity to participate. Then there’s team work, work ethic and dedication, and perseverance.
What motivates you to continue training and racing, despite such a full plate?
Some days there is no motivation and others I can’t wait to be out the door.
1. Mental health, there’s a lot of stress and pressure that comes a) from my job, b) from running a club and coaching athletes c) from being a father and a husband, nothing quite helps relieve that than a solid training session or two.
2. Motivating others, there’s always people watching whether I know it or not, so being able to plant and water that seed and sometimes see it grow.
FUN FACTS ABOUT ALEX
Outside of triathlon, what are your other hobbies or interests?
That’s a great question and there hasn’t been a lot of time for much else. However I enjoy getting out on my motorcycle and with André starting to grow up I’m keen to pick the guitar back up.
What’s one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?
Cherie says I can’t dance, and jokes that André (our toddler) can dance better than me. It’s a hard one, if I had to pick something it would probably be that I have a lot of self doubt, not so much about my abilities as an athlete but more around am I a good enough coach, mentor, President and are things we’re doing going to work regardless of how much evidence there is to support things.
And finally, what advice would you say to new members, or someone wanting to get into the sport?
Go for it, start small and work up from there, it’ll take all your time up if you let it. While I know lots of people that go it alone, I’d recommend getting a part of a club or squad community, it makes it so much more fun and inviting. Rockingham Tri Club and Armadale are good places to start 😛 The moment you start, you’re beating everyone still sitting on the couch.