from TriStars Training | TriStars Training

TriStars Training Ltd. is a Victoria, British Columbia, swim, bike and run coaching company established in 2004. Head coach Carolyn Gebbie, and her husband Bob, have been involved in the sport of triathlon since 1999. What started as a fun way to get fit has evolved into a full-time passion for these Nationally Certified Triathlon Coaches. TriStars Training Ltd. is geared for age-group athletes who want to train in one sport or in all three – swim, bike and run. The main goal is to train smart, train safely, and to have fun with a group of like-minded people – the TriStars Training Team. Read more about us here.

If you’re just starting out in the sport, or an experienced athlete who wants to improve your race times, TriStars Training Ltd. is here for you. We pride ourselves on being a support system for our clients, and for providing quick and comprehensive responses to any questions or e-mail enquiries. On-line coaching is available and we are currently working with clients across Canada and in the US.

NOW MEET THE COACHES

Carolyn Gebbie – Head Coach

Is it possible to go from couch potato to finisher at the Hawaii Ironman World Championships a mere 8 years later? Darn right it is!

Like a lot of people I didn’t make exercise an important factor in my busy life. Then came the turning point – my 40th birthday in 1995. I started jogging before work after realizing that unless I took steps to prevent heart disease later in life I would end up with the same health problems experienced by my parents. After a few months I started to experience searing pain through my right kneecap. I needed arthroscopic surgery and while recuperating I strained a ligament in my back which completely brought any hopes of maintaining my fitness level to a standstill. I was in great pain and discomfort for nearly 2 years and combated the frustration by overeating. I consequently gained 40 pounds.

This inactivity continued until I got my back healthy and strong through rehabilitative exercises. Finally, pain-free, I recommenced jogging – alternating between one block of walking and one block of jogging for a total of about 6 blocks. Read the rest..

Bob Gebbie

As an NCCP Triathlon Coach my goal is to guide you in achieving your triathlon goals – with my help you will be amazed at what you can accomplish. I fully understand the challenge of most age-group triathletes to fit fitness in their busy lifestyles. However with efficient swim, bike and run techniques as well as an individualized training program we can find a balance that is just right for you.

My journey in triathlon started over 10 years ago when I participated in a sprint triathlon as the runner on a relay team. I was amazed at the fantastic camaraderie and triathlon’s inclusiveness for all ages and sizes. Also here was an opportunity for me to add some multisport variety to my run training and achieve both upper and lower body strength and fitness. So in addition to my regular running I started cycling to work throughout the winter and registered for swim stroke improvement lessons. The next spring I was so proud of myself to have completed my first sprint distance triathlon. trans

Read the rest..

Lister Farrar – Cycling Coach

Lister has been a cyclist since he was 14 and first raced in novice events leading up to the 1973 Ontario Games. A native of St. Catharines, ON, he is a product of a supportive cycling network of family, club, and coach, Colin Hearth, that produced a disproportionate number of international medallists. In fact, it was Lister’s Dad who gave Steve Bauer a lift to his first bike race in the family van bought specifically to transport Lister and his brother to events. The St. Catharine’s Cycling Club continues to influence Lister’s approach to cycling.

A graduate of McMaster University (BPE) for the theoretical side, Lister has several National Championship track medals as a member of the Ontario team, including a national championship in team pursuit. He raced Cat 1 until 1988 – highlights being two top-15 results in the Ontario Road Championships – when a back injury educated him to the importance of flexibility in endurance sport. That lesson allows him to continue to compete in cyclocross and road, usually with his kids, club mates and coached athletes. Read the rest..

John Greaves – Swim Coach

John has four children ranging in age from teenagers to toddlers, and has a very busy life encompassing coaching, training for triathlons and marathons, and providing massage therapy. He’s been a swim coach since 1987 and has taught thousands of swimmers over the years. John particularly likes working with new swimmers and guiding their progress. In fact John was Carolyn and Bob’s first swim coach back in 1999!

John loves to help people reach their health and fitness goals. He is thrilled to be part of the TriStars Training coaching team!

Carolyn Wick

Carolyn will be coaching for TriStars Training from time to time on an as-needed basis, while she works from home as a full-time mother and part-time process improvement specialist for a Vancouver-based engineering company. Additionally, she is a Master Learning Facilitator a.k.a. “coaches’ coach” for Triathlon Canada’s NCCP courses (both the community and competition introduction streams). In fact, she taught both Coach Carolyn (in 2006) and Coach Bob (in 2010) when they were going through the coaching certification process.

Carolyn has served on the board of directors for TriBC, officiated and directed races, coached kids, youth and adult triathletes, helped develop resources for Triathlon Canada, and even co-authored the Penticton “IronMap” (which you may have seen in Carolyn and Bob’s kitchen!), a great resource for athletes and spectators at Ironman Canada. Herself an Ironman Canada finisher (2002), Carolyn’s simple training approach was “Fun, Fast and Far”. Now she has her hands full with “Family”, but ultimately looks forward to developing and running programs and working with athletes of her own again in the not too distant future. Read the rest..

WHO WE ARE AND WHERE WE CAME FROM