Rhianne Hughes

Growing up I was always a keen runner but struggled to reach my potential due to health issues. At university I was heavily involved in the University Cross country society and was appointed the roles of women’s captain and president. During lockdown, I decided to give triathlon a go due to injury struggles, I found that triathlon training really complemented my running and brought it to the next level. 

​

I started off as an age group triathlete in 2022 and earned 3 Outlaw triathlon podiums and age group podiums before earning my professional long course triathlete licence at the end of 2023. My first pro season involved lots of ups and downs with my highlights being 4th place finish at 70.3 Swansea and top 6 finishes in all my races. In the future I look to give my first full Ironman distance triathlon a go in 2024 at Ironman Wales. Alongside my training over the last year I have been developing my passion for helping other succeed within sport too. I am a volunteer coach at the University of Leeds triathlon centre within the BUCS squad helping the students become the next generation of professional athletes like myself. I have also been leading ZWIFT training for PGC1-Coaching athletes buidling the community aspect of PGC1-Coaching's triathlon division.

Coaching philosophy

My coaching has been influenced by my own experiences as both an amateur and professional athlete. Having worked with many coaches both within the Triathlon and Running world my own style has been cherry picked from some of the UK's highest achieving coaches in both sports. My key philosophy when it comes to Triathlon training is ensuring your training programme is achievable and the workload is manageable. Triathlon training is time consuming, and often overwhelming to believe you can meet your goals with limited time. Consistency is the key to success and my style of coaching focuses on ensuring you can complete the work required to achieve your goals and will help you find balance between training and you’re your work, family and social commitments. The biggest thing for me is creating an environment where you can enjoy your training first and foremost - a happy athlete is a fast athlete!