ACT Sport Hall of Fame – Associate Member
Ben Gathercole is a trailblazer for triathlon in Australia, his methods shaping coaching methods and practice in what was a relatively new sport. Growing up predominantly in Sydney, Ben was an elite middle-distance swimmer, a pathway that took him to the US college system, the AIS and the verge of Olympic selection in 1988. After retiring from swimming, Ben briefly returned to Sydney before coming back to the family’s indoor pool and fitness business in Woden. After competing in his first Ironman triathlon in the early 1990’s Ben quickly realised an absence of specialised and structured coaching and training programs within the sport, applying his skills to build his own triathlon coaching squad, the successful Tridents Triathlon Club. Ben gained formal triathlon coaching in 1993, later to attain High Performance coaching recognition in 2002. Under his guidance the Tridents Club became a powerhouse, helping many new people into the sport and supporting a stable of elite triathletes including 2004 Olympian Simon Thompson, Michelle Wu, Jesse Featonby and Aaron Farlow. After a stint away from the sport, Ben was appointed High Performance Manager for Triathlon Australia in 2017/18 before later retiring due to ongoing health issues. Despite this, he continues to contribute, supporting the development of Triathlon ACT’s coach education and mentoring program over recent years. Ben joins his late father and Olympic swim coach, Terry Gathercole AM, as an Associate Member of the ACT Sports Hall of Fame.