At our next issue we will present an exclusive interview from Joel Filliol who is one of triathlon’s most experienced and successful professional coaches. He has been involved in endurance sport since 1989 both as an athlete and coach. As an athlete Joel has competed in over 100 triathlon and multisport events and represented Canada at World Championships in Triathlon and Duathlon. As a coach he has worked with athletes at the highest levels including at the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 World Championships, the ITU World Elite and Age Group Championships, and multisport games such as the Commonwealth, Pan American, and Olympic Games.
Coach Joel works with athletes with a deep commitment to achieve their absolute best performances. He has had success with athletes in all disciplines of multisports including Ironman and long distance racing, non drafting short distance and ITU draft legal events.
“My coaching goal is to provide world class leadership to athletes with a deep commitment to achieve their absolute best performances”
Currently Joel is an independent professional triathlon coach working with a variety of athletes and consulting projects. Now based back in Victoria, BC, Canada, Joel coaches in a full time squad environment including GB elite Kerry Lang, Canadian National Elite athletes Lauren Campbell and Kirsten Sweetland, as well as working via distance coaching and consulting with selected age group and elite athletes from around the world including Ironman winners Chris “Big Sexy” McDonald, and Hillary Biscay.
Joel’s previous roles include serving as Head Coach for the world leading national federation, British Triathlon, based at the National High Performance Centre in Loughborough, UK. As Head Coach with British Triathlon Joel worked with world medallist athletes Alistair Brownlee, Jonathan Brownlee, Helen Jenkins,Tim Don, Will Clarke and the other members of the UK Sport funded World Class Programme.
Joel served Triathlon Canada for two years as Development Coach at the National Triathlon Centre in Victoria, before taking on the Senior Coach role in 2006 to 2008. Joel has coached at two Commonwealth Games (2002 and 2006), two Pan American Games (2003 and 2007), and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. At the NTC in Victoria Joel personally coached many of Canada’s National Team athletes including 2000 Olympic Champion Simon Whitfield, 2006 World Junior Champion Kirsten Sweetland, 2008 Olympians Lauren Groves, Colin Jenkins and Paul Tichelaar, and 2007 Pan American Games Team Member and 2008 Olympic Team Alternate Kyle Jones, among others.
As the Head Coach for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Team Joel led the Canadian team toward achieving their two major performance objectives; qualifying a full team of 3 men and 3 women, and achieving a Silver Medal performance, as Simon Whitfield’s personal coach.
Joel initiated his coaching company, CompetitionZone.com, in 2000, and has worked with many athletes of different backgrounds, goals and fitness levels to achieve their goals online, locally and through camps. Through Competition Zone Joel has worked with multiple Ironman winner Tom Evans from 2004-2008, and Ironman podium performers Jordan Rapp from 2004-2008, among many others.
Pro Athletes who have worked with Coach Joel:
Great Britain
Alistair Brownlee, Jonathan Brownlee, Tim Don, Will Clarke, Olly Freeman, Todd Leckie, Tom Bishop, David McNamme, Phil Graves
Helen Jenkins, Hollie Avil, Liz Blatchford, Jodie Stimpson, Vanessa Raw, Jodie Swallow, Kerry Lang, Katie Ingram, Abbie Thorington
Chris McDonald – Australia/New Zealand: Ironman Winner
Hillary Biscay – USA: Ironman winner
Tom Evans – Canada: 4x Ironman Winner, 40 year old Ironman World Best 8:07
Jordan Rapp – USA: Elite Ironman Podium, sub 8:20 PB
Simon Whitfield – Canada: 2008 Beijing Olympian, Silver Medalist
Dave Matthews – Australia – ITU elite athlete
Colin Jenkins – Canada: 2008 Beijing Olympian, Canadian Sr National Team
Lauren Groves/Campbell – Canada: 2008 Beijing Olympian, Canadian Sr National Team
Kyle Jones – Canada: 2008 Beijing Olympic Alternate, Pan AM Games Team Member, Sr National Team
Paul Tichelaar – Canada: 2008 Beijing Olympian, Canadian Sr National Team
Kirsten Sweetland – Canada: 2008 Beijing Olympic Alternate, 2006 World Junior Champion
Andrew McCartney – Canada: Canadian National Centre Squad, World Junior Championship Team
Daniel Wells – Canada: Canadian National Centre Squad, 1st out of the water 2007 Edmonton ITU WC
Terenzo Bozzone trained with Joels squad in the month prior to his 7th place finish at the 2007 ITU World Elite Championships
Jill Savege – Canada: 2004 Olympic and 2006 Commonwealth Games Team Member
Suzanne Weckend – Canada: 2006 Commonwealth Games Team Member
Andre-Paul Baillergeon-Smith – Canada: Canadian Elite Development Team Member
Connor Hammond – Canada: Canadian Junior National Team Member
Natasha Filliol – Canada: Commonwealth and Pan American Games Team Member, Elite Ironman
Tara Ross – Canada: Canadian National Elite Team Member
Angela Strange – Canada: Age Group Hawaii Qualifier
Christine Fletcher – Canada: 3rd Place 2005 Ironman Canada
Jasper Blake Ironman Podium Finisher
Charlene Waldner – Canada: Sub 10hour Ironman and Hawaii Qualifier
Colin Edwards – Canada: Canadian Elite Development Team Member
Aaron Webb – Canada: Canadian Elite Development Team Member
Kim Sorenson – Canada: Canadian Elite Development Team Member
Julien Periard – Canada: Canadian Elite Development Team Member
Kelly Cook – USA: National Elite Team Member
Dolly Ginter – USA: Pro Ironman
Katja Schumacher – Germany: Ironman Podium Finisher
Lauren Maule – USA: Pro Ironman
Dong King – Canada: Sub 9hr Ironman Canada Finisher
Carole Sharpless – USA: Pro Ironman
Jonathon Caron – Canada: Pro Ironman & Hawaii Qualifier
