Head Triathlon Coach & Founder
Suzanne Atkinson, MD
Suzanne brings motivational skills, technical instruction and an understanding of physiology to each individual athlete’s training
I've been a passionate triathlon coach for nearly twenty years. At the start of my coaching career I had just completed the well known Escape from Alcatraz race. After hiring my own triathlon coach for the race, I realized that my endurance and skills coaching I already practiced from the sports of mountaineering and rock climbing carried over to triathlon coaching with ease.
I am a believer in a growth mindset and am always learning as much as I can to help my athletes get the results that matter most to them. I learned from and mentored with the top triathlon coaches in running, swimming and cycling.. and this in turn has helped me take the best training ideas and teaching techniques that work, and bring them to my athletes so taht they can utilize world-class coaching ideas even if they are a first-time triathlete.
As a physician with limited training time, I paid attention to the scientifically proven ways that we actually build fitness and speed...and brought that right to my athletes with absolutely wonderful results.
I also discovered that when done at the right dose, timing and tempo, the same triathlon coaching and training techniques worked for novice triathletes as well as they did for elite triathletes.
Using human principals of energy management, biomechanics, mental fitness and brain based learning, I've helped both first time triathletes as well as world champion triathletes improve their triathlon times and set new personal records in every triathlon distance, and in every triathlon discipline of run, bike & swim.
Prior to coaching triathlon, I was a wilderness instructor for Outward Bound School which developed my foundational approach to teaching technique and helping students breakthrough fears and limitations.
All of these experiences have helped me become the triathlon coach that can help you achieve the goals you have with personalized triathlon training that's been refined through working with hundreds of athletes over the years.
When you see the value in my ability to help you have fun, get faster and believe in your potential, you won't regret choosing Steel City Endurance!
Triathlon Coaching with Suzanne
Training with Coach Suzanne and Steel City Endurance has greatly improved my confidence and enjoyment of open water swimming, and by improving my efficiency has enabled me to save energy for the bike and run in triathlons. During the best if the US race (Leon's race), it was a turbulent start with the best of the us and faster men/women all together.
Due to the work on swim efficiency I was able to hold a place just behind the lead swimmers. I remember feeling like everyone around me was expending a lot of effort, while I felt pretty comfortable. I feel like the effort saved by not working extra hard to stay right there at the lead payed off with a strong bike and run.
I utilized Steel City Endurance as my Triathlon Coach to increase my 5k and half marathon time as well as to complete a 70.3 distance triathlon. I met all my goals with great success and I largely attribute that success to Steel City's coaching. We seamlessly work together from two different parts of the country. My coach was incredibly informative, responsive, flexible and offered amazing guidance along the way. I highly recommend Steel City Endurance Triathlon Coaching.
