Who We Are

Will is a full time coach and has been coaching Triathlon for 21 years now and over this time as both a coach and athlete he has had the good fortune to work with and learn from some legendary coaches. The lessons learnt he has implemented into his coaching guiding over 200 athletes to Great Britain Age Group success with numerous Top 10, podiums and champions across the whole range of ITU World, European, IRONMAN and Challenge Family races along the way.

Will is the Head Coach and Founder of Precision Race Team the current UK and EMEA No. 1 IRONMAN Team.  The team was rebranded in 2018 from ONE Triathlon RDS which was also an award winning team at ITU.  The team is largely made up of top 1-5% Age Group athletes with well over 100 Great Britain Age Group international athletes as well as several World and European medalists.

Will coaches across the full spectrum of beginner to elite and enjoys the variety of challenges that comes with that.

Over the last two decades Will has also coached and supplied expert knowledge to brands and publications such as HUUB, Speedo, Gordon Ramsay, The Times, The Telegraph, The Mail on Sunday, ITV’s Good Morning Britain, 220 Triathlon as well as numerous online publications.

The truth is every athlete is different and deserves an individual approach. Will offers strong guidance and entirely individualised targets. However, feedback is vital. Coaching is a relationship and as with any relationship communication is key. Will encourages as much feedback and contact as an athlete can give but will also work with the athlete to educate them as to the really important information to feedback on from a performance perspective as well as the information important to them as an individual.

Will has competed in over 200 triathlons and duathlons across all distances ranging from local races to multiple World and European Age Group Championships from sprint to long distance generally placing in the Top 10.

Still competing, his current focus is IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3.

Asked last year what it was that kept him in the sport he explained that it was the people and the community both the one created wit PRT but also the wider triathlon family.

Originally a swimmer and runner, Will competed to a National level and then moved over to Triathlon whilst at university. He quickly established himself in the sport and has now been competing to a high level for over 20 years.

Formerly a Captain in the Royal Military Elite Close Protection Unit, Will works to a very high standard with meticulous attention to detail.

He is a family man with two young children and a dog so fully understands the challenges of training and balancing life’s priorities!

Raya is an Ironman certified coach assisting athletes competing in ITU and longer distances. Having been a former Canadian International Alpine ski racer, Raya understands the intensities, pressures and physiological demands that are placed on athletes no matter what level they are competing. Raya capitalizes on her international sporting background to help push but at the same time support her athletes to their desired levels, whatever those goals may be.

Raya truly believes in the “Precision Way”. Our approach is very much athlete focused and driven. Every decision made is centered around each individual athlete. Raya takes the time to develop strong relationship with each of her athletes so they feel they can communicate openly and get the best feedback possible to help structure an athletes training.

Following a long break from sport due to injury Raya went into business. She had her own consulting firm focused on Emerging Market Finance before selling up to work full time in the triathlon industry. She can very much relate to the everyday pressures and strains placed on athletes trying to deal with work, life, balance and sport! Raya has been competing in triathlon since 2015 and has competed in all distances from Sprint to full Ironman distances. She had podium at Ironman races and has qualified and competed in ETU, ITU & Ironman 70.3 World Championships.

Hendrik has been coaching triathletes and other multisport athletes since 2001, back in University days. He dipped into triathlon in the late 90’s in a relay team for a first go at the sport. Hendrik started racing Triathlons in 2000 and turned pro in 2002. Hendrik represented South Africa from 2004 – 2012 and was in the South African 2006 Commonwealth Games and 2008 Olympic Games teams. With major wins, like the London Triathlon in 2006, first African to ever win an ITU World Cup race (2007), he had 60 ITU (International Triathlon union – now World Triathlon) pro ELITE starts, 14 podiums and 6 wins in total and many more other races and wins under his belt. Some of his claims to fame in triathlon is, having beaten all former Olympic Champions and a 17 streak win Nationally in the Sprint series in South Africa, a 70.3 Ironman top 10 Finish and 2nd place in another brand’s half distance race. He was also a 3 time Biathle World champion and 1 time Biathle Junior men Champion.

Hendrik raced in German (lived in Germany for those summer months) and French teams with the best – Brownlee’s, Javier Gomez, Daniel Unger, Tim Don and many more. Special mention to friendly arch rivals and super humans Tim Don and Jan Frodeno. Hendrik has also beaten all the past Olympic Champions, unfortunately, just not on that big day – but he believes everything that does not break you, makes you stronger and his biggest victories are still lying ahead of him (not necessarily on a podium for himself – but does not discount that).

As an athlete and coach Hendrik has been privileged to work with the best in the sport. He primarily had two personal coaches during his competitive Triathlon career but elite sport is a team sport and he tapped into advice and teaching and input from many, including having trained at 2 British National Triathlon Centres, German National Triathlon Centre, South African and Australian National Triathlon Centres.

Coaching successes: Hendrik coached and mentored some age-group Ironman 70.3 champions, ITU Triathlon World Championship medallists (age-group). He formerly coached a now 2-time Elite Pro X-terra Triathlon World Champion and multiple top 5% Ironman finishers in their categories. He has worked with athletes as young as 3y of age (Learn to Swim) and some into the 60’s categories (and a few, much more advanced in years if he counts spinning instructing in).

Hendrik has a very balanced approach to life and coaching. He has certainly pushed some boundaries and personal beliefs and physical, mental and spiritual limits to achieve what he and some of his athletes has. Pushing those boundaries does not come without setbacks and paying a price – therefore his coaching is based on sustainability within each individual athlete’s framework, time availability and personal goals. Finding a flourishing (win-win) scenario with minimum downside risk of injuries, exhaustion or burn-out, is in the forefront of his mind. Putting overall wellbeing first, Hendrik shows empathy and sincerely cares about his athletes, but he can also call a bluff/ ”little lazy-or-soft-2-day”. He can crack the proverbial whip when needed, with motivation and inspiration build in to his approach.

With everything in mind Hendrik likes to keep it simple, but can also go into the finest detail once the basic level of achievement and understanding is there – backed by experience, a B.Comm Chartered Accounting degree and a few Certificates in swimming, cycling and Triathlon Coaching.

Frequent and open communication is vital for coaching and athlete success.

“The super human team and community within Precision Coaching, athletes, partners and sponsors, immensely helps both athletes and coaches in the value proposition delivered.” – Hendrik de Villiers

Hendrik is a happily married family man with three children and has recently started coaching fulltime with Precision Coaching. A South African, having relocated to the UK in 2019, has a zest for life, adds value and thrives on making a positive impact however and whenever he can in his daily walk of life.

He is grateful for opportunities and people, past and present and comes with an arsenal of stories on racing, travel, life and so much more. He has an optimistic outlook and “carpe diem” approach and knows even if one cannot always see it, every dark cloud has a silver lining.

As a seasoned short course athlete and multiple time championship medallist, Ben fully understands how these races are won and lost and is passionate about supporting others to achieve their short course potential, reach new PBs, qualify for the Age Group team or reach that podium for themselves.

Ben has been fortunate enough to train and work alongside some of the country’s best athletes, coaches, and sports professionals and is able to distil all of that into his coaching in an engaging and accessible way.

Working full time, as well as training, competing, and coaching, Ben completely understands how to help busy athletes plan an effective, and enjoyable training plan with principles of specificity and adaptability at the core of everything he does.

Ben is excited to coach athletes of all abilities, from complete beginner to elite, and thrives on all the challenges that this presents.

First and foremost, Ben always looks to build an achievable, enjoyable, and fulfilling training plan that motivates and challenges the athlete. Ben is also a strong believer in involving an athlete in the process and creation of their own training plan.

Ben welcomes athlete questions and for them share feedback for the coach much like a coach shares feedback for the athlete. The goal is to encourage an athlete’s sense of ownership and accountability, which will help them maximise their time, energy, and thrive in their sport and achieve their fitness and sporting goals.

Central to this is a strong belief in the idea that for any athlete, no matter their age, ability level, or goals; triathlon should add to a triathlete’s life, either through improvements in their physical & mental health from physical activity and exercise, or through achieving goals in training and competition.

Evidence based training is very important to Ben. The day he stops learning as a coach, is the day he no longer carries on coaching. Keeping up to date with the latest developments in triathlon & multisport coaching, sports science, psychology, nutrition, and recovery, Ben is well equipped to support athletes who really want to push their performances come race day.

Ben doesn’t see any shame in trying and failing – in fact, Ben believes failure is simply another opportunity to learn. Ben channels his own personal and racing experiences to help give athletes the confidence to give things a go and thrive in the process of doing so.

Ben has been training and competing in the sport of triathlon for over 10 years. Previously a competitive swimmer, Ben transitioned to triathlon and multisport as a young adult, inspired by the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games, and has never looked back since.

Quickly stepping up to the Elite ranks as a Junior athlete, Ben was fortunate enough to race alongside some of the world’s rising stars such as Alex Yee, Sam Dickinson, Barclay Izzard, and Ben Djikstra and had to learn rapidly how to become competitive as a short course athlete.

Since then, Ben has quickly established himself amongst some of the best Age Group triathletes in the UK over the Sprint & Olympic distances, and consistently places on the podium. To this date, Ben won 7 National Championship medals; two of which are National Championship titles and is incredibly proud to represent Great Britain at International level too.
Outside of training and competition, Ben works full time in sports nutrition, helping athletes every day to support their sport and active lifestyle through proper nutrition and supplementation. Navigating a busy family and social life, Ben understands the challenges this presents and has developed.

Sebastian is an Ironman certified coach and qualified personal trainer who over the past five years has raced the spectrum of sprint up to long distance triathlons. But his main focus is middle and long distance – where he recently competed at the 70.3 World Champs in Utah and raced for Team GB age-group in Spain. Having studied Sports and Exercise Science with a focus on cycling, Sebastian understands the various physiological demands through each disciplines and what’s needed in order to achieve the desired goal no matter what level the athletes are competing at. Balancing full-time work, an energetic family, coaching and still racing as much as possible, he understands the challenges and how to get the most out of the time you can to train!

Sebastian believes in an athlete centred approach, understanding the specific needs of that athlete and what works for them. He believes this comes from developing a strong relationship, with a clear understanding and expectations of the goals set out. Sebastian encourages the feedback and constant communication to further the relationships to help steer the plans to get the athlete towards their goals, ultimately making every session count.

Having always had a passion for sports, Sebastian started out cycling for fun which quickly then turned into wanting to push the limits.. 8 months later in 2019 completed his first Ironman. Since then he’s been training towards various events such as a few marathons, numerous middle distance events around Europe whilst qualifying at ETU, ITU & Ironman 70.3 WC level. He’s still got his sights set on some big middle distance goals this year!

John started the first Sports Council injury clinic at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, and subsequently three British Olympic Association accredited clinics.

John’s experience is extraordinary.  A three times Olympic athletics coach he has since been the lead consultant physiotherapist for Team GB athletics at a further six Olympics.

Further to this he is:

–       Lecturer and clinical tutor to post-graduate doctors, MSc in Sports Medicine, London University.

–       Clinical tutor and examiner, Physiotherapy MSc, Sports Rehabilitation BSc, London Universities.

–       Doctorate in musculo-skeletal screening; incorporating implementation of musculo-skeletal assessment for elite UK athletes.

–       Senior Clinical Fellow Hertfordshire University.

–       Fellow of the Royal College of Medicine.

–       Neurology Specialist.

Further to this John provides:

Coaching education to senior coaching level in all track and field events including coaching to achieve athlete’s Olympic selection.

Expert witness for physiotherapy medico-legal reporting.

John is very strictly evidence based.  Not much more to say here.  If it isn’t proven it isn’t on John’s radar.  He is driven by the cause of a pathology or injury and not distracted by treating symptoms.

John has represented Great Britain at elite level in Athletics being ranked No. 1 in the UK at the height of his career.  More recently John has represented Great Britain at an Age Group level in triathlon multiple times and is currently qualified for Europeans and Worlds for both 2018 and 2019.

Cassie is a full time coach and speaker.  As an Olympic medalist & international swimmer over 200, 400, 800 1500 & 10k across 3 disciplines, Cassie is uniquely qualified to help any level of swimmer. An ASA level 2 coach, Cassie coaches junior competitive swimmers, masters and Triathletes across the full spectrum of ability as well as Open Water swimmers who want to focus on their technique.

Cassie has had some outstanding results since starting full time coaching in 2011.

Cassie draws on her vast experience of coaching and competing across all levels.  Evidence based training is very important to her keeping up to date with the latest developments in swim coaching she is able to cut through attempts to reinvent the wheel and focus on what really works.

She is flexible and personable which is extremely important as no one athlete is the same.  She utilises her experience to adapt her coaching to ensure results with whomever she is working with.

One area that Cassie is particularly strong at (unsurprisingly) is helping athletes get comfortable in Open Water.  This is something that many athletes struggle with be they confident swimmers or not.

Where to start?  Probably with her Olympic Bronze Medal in the 10,000m Open Water Swim.  Backed up nicely with two World Championship Silvers, a World and European Cup win.  Cassie also made history as the first swimmer in the world to both final in the pool and medal in the open water events at an Olympics.  She represented Great Britain at an elite level for over 10 years. Cassie is simply one of the best swimmers that Great Britain has ever produced.

Her passion for swimming is unsurpassed and in particular swimming outdoors.  The only thing she is more passionate about is her lovely dog Daisy and maybe her partner Martin. 😉

Jules has 12 years’ experience in exercise physiology and nutrition research, lecturing and consultancy. As a registered nutritionist she works with athletes of all ages across all levels of competition with a particular specialism in endurance sport and the female athlete. She currently works at Liverpool John Moores University as a Senior Lecturer in Exercise & Health Metabolism, and is the co-founder of Total Endurance Nutrition.

Qualifications:

• BSc Sport & Exercise Sciences (University of Birmingham)
• MSc Sport & Exercise Nutrition (Loughborough University)
• PhD in Exercise Metabolism (University of Birmingham)
• Registered Nutritionist (Sport & Exercise)
• Associate Member of the Sport & Exercise Nutrition Register
• UK Anti Doping accredited Clean Sport Advisor

It is the belief of Total Endurance Nutrition that developing the optimal nutritional approach to support training, competition and day-to-day life, will allow any athlete to go beyond their current performance level. To achieve this, Jules takes an athlete-centred approach to her practice; that is, she takes the time to understand the needs of an athlete so that she can develop the most appropriate nutrition plan to support training, competition and life goals. Her philosophy is that nutrition coaching is a collaborative relationship, not only with the athlete, but also with the coach and other members of the support network. Her work in sports nutrition research means that her practice is always research-informed with a high level of attention to detail, using the latest developments in sports nutrition to enhance the advice and support she provides to her athletes.

Jules has long been participating in competitive sport as a track athlete, lacrosse and netball player. More recently she has taken up multi-sports as an age group duathlete and triathlete, competing up to half ironman distance and racing for the Great Britain age-group team.

Sam specialises in nutrition for endurance sports, particularly triathlon, cycling and running. He works with a range of athletes from enthusiasts to those competing at the elite level, to refine and optimise their diet and nutrition plans to benefit both their lifestyle and maximise sports performance. This advice is built on 12 years’ experience as a researcher, lecturer and practitioner in the exercise physiology and nutrition field. He currently works at Liverpool John Moores University as a Senior Lecturer in Sport & Exercise Nutrition, and is the co-founder of Total Endurance Nutrition.

Qualifications:

• BSc Sport & Exercise Sciences (University of Birmingham)
• MSc Human Nutrition & Metabolism (University of Aberdeen)
• PhD in Exercise Metabolism (University of Birmingham)
• Associate Member of the Sport & Exercise Nutrition Register
• UK Anti Doping accredited Clean Sport Advisor

It is the belief of Total Endurance Nutrition that developing the optimal nutritional approach to support training, competition and day-to-day life, will allow any athlete to go beyond their current performance level. To achieve this, Sam works to develop a strong relationship with his clients where communication and feedback are fundamental. This provides a strong basis for working with each athlete to deliver individualised nutrition coaching, education and guidance. Working in research in his day-to-day job requires innovation and an eye for detail, two qualities that underpin his approach to nutrition coaching. And through his own research, he is at the cutting edge of sports nutrition developments which he subsequently uses to inform his practice. Finally, he is an age group athlete himself, and therefore understands the challenges of balancing triathlon with life demands.

Sam has always been involved in competitive sport. He grew up playing football in the winter, cricket in the summer, and running throughout the year. He took part in a number of sprint and Olympic distance triathlons while at University, and has more recently stepped up to middle and long distance triathlon racing. He is a 2x Ironman 70.3 world championship qualifier, and has a number of podium finishes in sprint and 70.3 distance races.

Alice is a UKSCA Accredited Strength & Conditioning Coach with a sustained record of achievement in providing support to elite, youth & developing athletes including Olympic & Paralympic Swimmers for the past 8 years.

After graduating with a first-class degree in Sports Science, Alice pursued a career in Strength & Conditioning achieving her UKSCA accreditation in 2012. She was responsible for the training of both an Olympic Swimmer & Paralympic Swimming double bronze and silver medallist for the London 2012 Games and since then has coached numerous swimmers to podium success at the European and World Junior championships, Youth Commonwealth Games and multiple National Championships.

Alice has also worked with organisations such as Portsmouth Football Club, British Swimming, Swim Ireland, Surrey Country Cricket Club, GBR Ice Hockey and McLaren to name but a few. As a triathlete herself, Alice has helped a wide range of athletes develop and implement a comprehensive conditioning programme into their endurance training plans with an emphasis on injury prevention and maximising performance.

Alice’s main question for any athlete is “are you moving correctly?” Her emphasis on correct technique ensures that all training programmes are bespoke to each individual athletes’ needs as well as the requirements of each specific sport. Alice’s training programmes focus heavily on using exercises that will ensure that you are as efficient as possible to maximise your race day performance and when correctly implemented into your training schedule, Strength & Conditioning can be the training element that gives you the extra edge come race day.

Alice had always had a background in competitive sport having been a dancer and swimmer growing up and is now a member of the Triathlon team Artemis Tri. Alice started competing in Sprint Triathlons in 2014 where she qualified for her first AG World Champs in her second ever triathlon. Since then Alice has represented GBR in the 2014, 2015, 2017 & will be competing in the 2018 World Championships in both Sprint and Standard Distances and also the 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 European Championships. She also tried her hand at Elite racing in 2016 which is something she is looking to go back to in 2019 as well as being bullied by Will to step up to the 70.3 distance. 😉

Jake has enormous experience in the cycling and more specifically bike fitting world.

The preferred supplier for Specialized UK Jake has worked with numerous athletes to ensure performance, aerodynamics and comfort.

Don’t tell him we said this but we have heard him called a magician…

Jake used a Retul bike fitting technology but importantly is able to apply this to the individual not just letting the computer do the work but endeavours to ensure the fit is fit for purpose, pun intended, be that to the bio mechanics of the individual or the riding needs – racing, triathlon vs critical racing, sportive, leisure riding and so on.

Jake grew up racing bikes, indeed he still does.  However, he always had a passion for the technical side of cycling which motivated him to study and develop his very successful fitting business.