2023 Triathlon Scotland Award Winners

Nominated by our members, the annual Triathlon Scotland awards acknowledge the athletes, coaches and volunteers making a difference to triathlon across Scotland. Read about their fantastic achievements below.

Club Spirit Award – Bronagh Wishart, Nevis Triathlon Club

Bronagh was instrumental in the creation of Nevis Triathlon Club, which was born out of a vision to set up an affiliated triathlon club to open up access and involvement in triathlon in Lochaber. She has played a leading role in all aspects of the club, from securing sponsorship from local businesses to help the club become financially stable in its inaugural year, to delivering high-quality coaching sessions covering all levels of abilities. She has played a pivotal role in leading and encouraging other women to get involved in sport and triathlon in the Lochaber area, with 72% of the club membership and 55% of the club committee currently female.

Read more about Bronagh here.

Technical Official of the Year – James Streetley

James joined the Technical Official programme in 2015, and since then has progressed through the pathway, reaching the level of National Technical Official in 2021. This year has seen James be outstanding at both International and British major events. In May, he was in Japan for the Asia Triathlon Cup Osaka, before travelling to Trinidad and Tobago in August for the Commonwealth Youth Games, a first major multi-sport Games appointment for James as a fully qualified Official. James also played a key part in the British Triathlon Super Series, where he was able to support as a Technical Delegate as well as officiating at the Grand Final, World Triathlon Championship Series Sunderland, and acting as Chief Official for the Lochore Aquathlon.

Read more about James here.

Young Coach of the Year – Isla Britton, Edinburgh University Triathlon Club

20 year-old Isla Britton is a dedicated coach who manages her coaching role alongside her studies and her own training as an elite level athlete. Isla’s contributions extend beyond her role as an athlete and coach, with her also volunteering as Performance Captain. With limited funding available for the Performance Squad, she has stepped up to take on a major coaching role, implementing innovative techniques such as video analysis and designing and delivering engaging training sessions. She also plays a pivotal role in coaching all club sessions and is always the first to volunteer when a last-minute dropout occurs, ensuring that no member of the club misses out on valuable training opportunities.

Read more about Isla here.

Coach of the Year – Dom James, Glasgow University Triathlon Club

Dom has been Head Coach of Glasgow University Triathlon Club for 6 years and has taken on a vital leadership role in the transformation of the club. Participation and performance at competitions has increased under Dom’s guidance, with the club now attending BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) competitions with large turnouts. Previously, the club never entered these high-performance events, and the large number of members who now enjoy competing is a testament to Dom’s ability to encourage and develop wider participation in the sport whilst building teams that will compete with the best in the country.

Read more about Dom here.

Elite Performance of the Year – Beth Potter

Beth has had a stellar 2023 season. In September, she became World Champion having won arguably the two biggest events on the World Triathlon calendar; the World Triathlon Championship Series Grand Final and the Paris Olympic Test Event. These two results earned her an automatic nomination for the British Olympic Team, with her selection confirmed by Team GB at the end of November.  She started the year with a first World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) win in Abu Dhabi, with a string of other podium finishes cementing her spot at the top of the World Triathlon rankings less than seven years after taking up the sport.

Read more about Beth here.

Age Group Performance of the Year – Sue Kingston, Newhaven Harbour Triathlon Club

Having turned 70 this year, Sue is an inspiring athlete who shows that anything is possible with hard work and determination. Having been part of the Great Britain Age Group team on and off for over a decade, 2023 would be Sue’s year. In June, she took Gold in the Sprint Distance event at the Europe Triathlon Championships in Madrid. She followed this with a 9th place finish at the World Sprint Triathlon Championships in Hamburg in July, where she also helped the British Mixed Relay team to a fantastic silver medal.

Read more about Sue here.

Inspirational Performance of the Year – Nicola Russell

Having overcome many barriers just to get to the start line, Nici completed her first super sprint triathlon in August. Nici is a full time wheelchair user, is Autistic and has Dystonia. Over 2 years, she battled and overcame a phobia of water to learn to swim, giving her the confidence to give triathlon a go. Unable to stand or walk independently, Nici borrowed a recumbent trike and a frame runner from local businesses in order to take part, powering both with her one working leg. In completing the event, she also managed to raise over £400 for her Judo Club.

Read more about Nici here.

Club of the Year – Glasgow Triathlon Club

In 2023, Glasgow Triathlon Club put on 1,587 training sessions with nearly ten thousand attendees. The ethos of the club is to include, inspire and improve their members. To include, they ran a number of virtual and in-person events. To inspire, the club put on talks for their members, with subjects including cycling, qualifying for European Championships, or jumping in arctic cold water. To improve, they launched a ‘Learn to Tri School’, a ‘learn to freestyle’ class, and ‘a train for Bishopbriggs’ training block. The Learn to Tri School resulted in over 20 new members to the club, while the learn to freestyle class had over 100 adults attend and improve their swimming.

Read more about the club here.

Event of the Year – East Fortune Duathlon, TriWorks Edinburgh

The East Fortune Duathlon was Scotland’s first draft-legal duathlon on the smooth, flat tarmac of East Fortune Race Circuit. A non-drafting wave was also incorporated to ensure everyone felt at ease entering the event in the knowledge that they would be able to ride within their own abilities. Over 200 athletes toed the start line, with the event targeting a wide range of participants, from seasoned triathletes to beginners and juniors aged 9-16, ensuring the whole family could enjoy the event. Sustainability was also high on the agenda with recycling bins, incentives to use public transport in exchange for food vouchers, and wooden medals (or the option to donate to charity instead).

Read more about the event here.

Outstanding Contribution to the Sport – Peter Soden, Glasgow Triathlon Club

Peter has been Race Director for 15 of Glasgow Triathlon Club‘s aquathlons, with his dedication, enthusiasm and inclusive approach making them some of the most popular events on the Scottish calendar. Having previously been a youth-only event, they have now expanded to include a beginners wave for adults taking their first steps into the world of triathlon. Peter’s approach to race organisation has ensured the event has run smoothly despite many challenges. He has navigated a change of venue from Allander to Kirkintilloch, and even managed to organise an event when the infamous Beast from the East gales occurred. 2023 was Peter’s last year as race director, with him now retiring to spend more time with family.

Read more about Peter here.

Congratulations to all our deserving winners!