CEO Update | November 2025

Winter has definitely arrived, and this week I’ve found myself doubling up on gloves during my bike rides. Still, staying active through the cold and dark months is essential, not just for my own race prep, but for my physical and mental wellbeing. The benefits of fresh air and movement are huge, even if I sometimes need to give myself a nudge to get out the door. It’s always easier when I’m meeting friends for a ride or a run!

A quick reminder to everyone: stay safe and be well prepared when training in winter weather or after dark.

Our team is busy developing winter challenges for Triathlon Scotland members to help keep us motivated and moving over the coming months. Keep an eye out for these challenges – and the prizes that will go with them.

This week, Triathlon Scotland joined 38 other Scottish Governing Bodies of Sport in signing a joint letter to First Minister John Swinney. The letter calls on the Scottish Government to honour its 2021 pledge to double annual funding for sport to £100m – a commitment that remains unfulfilled with less than six months of this Parliament left. You can read our post and the full letter here.

Monday night marked our Triathlon Scotland AGM, a valuable opportunity to reflect on the past year and celebrate achievements across the sport. It also allows me to publicly thank our board members for their dedication, recognise our staff team for their incredible work, acknowledge the event organisers who make racing possible, appreciate our Technical Officials who support us on race day, and of course, celebrate the many volunteers who give their time to training, events, committees, and more. And lastly, thank you to everyone who has made it to a start line this year.

There were countless highlights – far too many to fit here – so please look out for our full AGM presentation on our website.

This year’s AGM also gave us the chance to say farewell to two individuals who have made an enormous impact on our sport. Rebecca Trengove steps down after completing two terms as Welfare Director. Her guidance has been invaluable. And Fiona Lothian, our Head of Performance Pathways, will leave us at Christmas after 11 years of exceptional service. Fiona, thank you for everything you’ve done for the sport.

I also shared some of our key priority areas for 2026, which include:

• Hosting British Championships and Age Group Qualifiers in Scotland

• Increased support for event organisers

• Growth of Age Group activity

• Expansion of the Swim, Bike, Run programme

• Continued coach development

• Appointment of a new Head of Performance Pathways

• Development of our new strategy

As Allister Short, our Chairperson, noted in his AGM address, we have begun the process of reviewing our strategy. Now is the right time to consider where we want to grow, in both quantity and quality, where we invest our resources, and where we can make the biggest impact. We’ll be reaching out to the community soon, as your input is vital in shaping our future direction.

In the meantime, stay safe out there, dream of summer sunshine and start lines – and like me, maybe get the race calendar out and start planning for next season!