Once a champion, always a champion * Michelle Dillon, Legend of British Triathlon

British Triathlon is one of the dominant nations in global triathlon and we have some fantastic talent at both ITU and Ironman distances. The growth of the sport in the last 15 years has been phenomenal. You may be one of those who entered the sport in the 21st century but what do you know of the previous generation? The super athletes who helped build the foundations for the Brownlee’s, Taylor Brown’s, and Yee's of today? Sadly performances and exploits of these athletes are often overlooked and so I’m on a mission to highlight the legends of British triathlon who I admired when I was starting out in the sport. Today my guest is one such legend, Michelle Dillon.

Michelle, founder of Team Dillon, is a former World and European champion and two-time Olympian. After her successful career was cut short by a back injury in 2008, Michelle turned her attention to helping others achieve their goals.

Michelle is now an Olympic Coach who works with all levels of athletes from beginners to high profile Elite athletes. 

She has helped numerous triathletes realise their potential through her unique combination of energy, passion, and enthusiasm, coupled with the knowledge and experience of someone who has been coaching for as long as 20+ years and competed at the highest level.

After being away from competing in the sport for 10 years, Michelle made a comeback to racing at the World 45-49-year-old Age Group sprint championships in 2018 on the Gold Coast. Michelle not only became AG World Champion but also clocked the fastest time across all age groups for the sprint distance! She also became World Age Group champion in 2019 in Lausanne, and is looking forward to competing in the 2021 season and for many years to come, as long as the body will allow!

As usual, this is a comprehensive chat covering a range of topics including:

*Starting out as a runner

*I’m a triathlete …but I can't even swim 50m

*Even pro athletes have injury problems - The long term hip injury 

*When an operation forces retirement, and it's a relief

*The transition to coaching

*Racing as an age grouper

If you'd like to follow Michelle please visit the Team Dillon website:

www.teamdilloncoaching.com

You can also find her at the following social media hangouts:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teamdilloncoaching/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Teamdillon

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamdilloncoaching/

Other links from our chat

Behind the scenes with Michelle & Stuart - Sigma sports ambassadors

Athens 2004 - Women’s Olympic triathlon - Michelle finished 6th

Sydney 2000 - Women's Olympic Triathlon

1994 Commonwealth Games - Women’s 10000m

Michelle talked enthusiastically about her Pilates Reformer machine

Book recommendation

Fast after 50:How to race strong for the rest of your life by Joe Friel

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Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes.  Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email [email protected].