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The History of the Warringah Triathlon Club
Warringah Triathlon Club was formed in 1985 to bring together athletes from Sydney's Northern Beaches who wanted to try the new sport of triathlon. Warren Sullivan, Kim Johnston, Allen Edwards, Martin Quinn & Chris Tully trained together in the gym at the Warringah Aquatic Centre and came up with the idea to start a Triathlon Club.
The proposed name for the club was Manly Warringah Triathlon Club. However, someone pointed out that name had already been taken by another group of athletes. Hence the name Warringah Triathlon Club (WTC) was adopted. In the first year the club had grown from about 20 athletes to over a hundred. By 1992/93 WTC had grown to 130 members, 86 males and 44 females. The Club is now the largest club in NSW and is one of the largest in Australia with 450+ members.
Five Olympians have been members of Warringah Triatlhon Club. Sydney 2000 Olympic Gold medalist Simon Whitfield (Triathlon), Nici Andronicus, Colin Hamilton (Modern Pentathlon), Sheridan Burge-Lopez (Swimming) and Emma Jeffcoat (Triathlon) in the Tokyo Olympics 2021.
The Club has many professional triathletes compete in the Australian Grand Prix Series and overseas events including Nici Andronicus, Deidre Grace & Helen McGeachie (St George Series), Blyth Hartnett, Grant Giles (Ironman) and Pieter Boer (Accenture Series)
Over the years the club has produced some of Australia's finest Triathletes and Duathletes many have been Australian and age group champions among them were:
Other well know successful triathletes were Richard Smith, Shane Floyd, Sean Vale, Matt Koorey, CallumMcCleod, Simon Skillicorn, Deidre Grace, Guy Wilding, Scott Wood and Richard Hobson.
FIRST RACE
The first Warringah Triathlon Club race was held around 1985/86. The race course was called the "Novice Circuit. It included a 500m swim in Narrabeen Lake, followed by a 2 lap 20km cycle along Pittwater Rd through Narrabeen shops, past the Antler Hotel (now known as the Sands Hotel, left into Ocean Street to Rat Park, finishing with a 5km run around the Lake.
NSW CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS
In 1994 a group of WTC athletes headed North for a race that Triathlon NSW had thrown together to ascertain the strongest club in the State.
WTC came third that year with just a handful of athletes. The next year new President Richard Smith and Garry Sussans made it their job to get the whole club together to Nelson Bay in an attempt to win the State Club Championships. It turned out a very professional affair, the club was represented with 125 athletes.
Club members were all dressed in identical uniforms, all staying at the one hotel, partying and racing as a team. A Tradition had started. Warringah that year became the No 1 Club in the State snatching the title from Cronulla Triathlon Club. Since then Warringah Triathlon Club has always performed strongly, placing either first or second in all but one Club Championships since 1995!!
OTHER MAJOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS
JUNIORS
The Club has a proud history of junior development. This is evidenced by the success of the club in the Sydney Junior Metropolitan Championship and NSW State Junior Club Championship.
JUNIOR METROPOLITAN CUP CHAMPIONSHIP
NSW JUNIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
Many junior club members have been selected over the years to be included in the NSWIS Junior Development Squad they are Yvette Fisher, Fiona Warneke, Angela Jones, Daniel Howitt, Pieter Boer, Jamie Murcott, Scott O'Connor, Sarah Fletcher, Amy Eager, Shaun Thompson, Ben Hammond.
Other Warringah Triathlon Club juniors ranked in the State include Gavin Scott, Paul Johnson, Tim Keary, Anna-Marie and Erika Shepherd, Jamie Warren, Stuart Strong, Matt Robertson.
OFFICE BEARERS & COMMITTEE
The first committee formed included
CLUB PRESIDENTS
LIFE MEMBERS
The proposed name for the club was Manly Warringah Triathlon Club. However, someone pointed out that name had already been taken by another group of athletes. Hence the name Warringah Triathlon Club (WTC) was adopted. In the first year the club had grown from about 20 athletes to over a hundred. By 1992/93 WTC had grown to 130 members, 86 males and 44 females. The Club is now the largest club in NSW and is one of the largest in Australia with 450+ members.
Five Olympians have been members of Warringah Triatlhon Club. Sydney 2000 Olympic Gold medalist Simon Whitfield (Triathlon), Nici Andronicus, Colin Hamilton (Modern Pentathlon), Sheridan Burge-Lopez (Swimming) and Emma Jeffcoat (Triathlon) in the Tokyo Olympics 2021.
The Club has many professional triathletes compete in the Australian Grand Prix Series and overseas events including Nici Andronicus, Deidre Grace & Helen McGeachie (St George Series), Blyth Hartnett, Grant Giles (Ironman) and Pieter Boer (Accenture Series)
Over the years the club has produced some of Australia's finest Triathletes and Duathletes many have been Australian and age group champions among them were:
- Tony Sattler - 1989 Australian Ironman Champion and two-time Hawaiian Ironman qualifier and top ten finisher.
- Adam Joyce - 1992 Australian Duathlon champion & 1992 18 year old Athletics NSW state 5km Champion. Adam was 3rd in the 1992 World Duathlon championships held in USA.
- Marc Dragan - member of the Australian team at both the 1991 & 1992 World Triathlon Championships.
- Dave Williams - 1992 Australian Universities Triathlon champion and qualifier for the world university championships.
- Nicky Carlyle - 1992 Australian duathlon age group champion and member of the Australian 1992 triathlon team.
- Peter Holyfield - 1991 & 1992 Australian Duathlon age group champion
- Simon Manson - World Duathlon Champion
- Geoff Thorsen - 20 Australian Ironman Races and 16 Kona Hawaiian Ironmans
- Pete Jacobs - 2012 Ironman World Champion!! 17th at Ironman Hawaii in 2006, 8th at Ironman Hawaii in 2009, 2nd Ironman Australia 2009, 3rd at Quelle Challenge Roth in 2007, 2nd in 2008 and 2009 (8hr 2min PB), Australian Long Course Champion 2009 (beat Craig Alexandar) and winner of numerous national and international events at Olympic and half ironman distance. More recent results from Pete include 2nd at Ironman Hawaii 2011 (fastest run split), 1st Ironman Australia 2011 and 1st NSW State Long Course Championships. Check out Pete's results HERE
Other well know successful triathletes were Richard Smith, Shane Floyd, Sean Vale, Matt Koorey, CallumMcCleod, Simon Skillicorn, Deidre Grace, Guy Wilding, Scott Wood and Richard Hobson.
FIRST RACE
The first Warringah Triathlon Club race was held around 1985/86. The race course was called the "Novice Circuit. It included a 500m swim in Narrabeen Lake, followed by a 2 lap 20km cycle along Pittwater Rd through Narrabeen shops, past the Antler Hotel (now known as the Sands Hotel, left into Ocean Street to Rat Park, finishing with a 5km run around the Lake.
NSW CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS
In 1994 a group of WTC athletes headed North for a race that Triathlon NSW had thrown together to ascertain the strongest club in the State.
WTC came third that year with just a handful of athletes. The next year new President Richard Smith and Garry Sussans made it their job to get the whole club together to Nelson Bay in an attempt to win the State Club Championships. It turned out a very professional affair, the club was represented with 125 athletes.
Club members were all dressed in identical uniforms, all staying at the one hotel, partying and racing as a team. A Tradition had started. Warringah that year became the No 1 Club in the State snatching the title from Cronulla Triathlon Club. Since then Warringah Triathlon Club has always performed strongly, placing either first or second in all but one Club Championships since 1995!!
- 1995 NSW Club Champions
- 1996 Runners-up
- 1997 Runners-up
- 1998 Runners-up
- 1999 NSW Club Champions
- 2000 NSW Club Champions
- 2001 Runners-up
- 2002 Runners-up
- 2004 NSW Club Champions
- 2005 Runners-up
- 2006 Club Championships not held
- 2007 NSW Club Champions
- 2008 NSW Club Champions
- 2009 NSW Club Champions
- 2010 NSW Club Champions
- 2011 Runners-up
- 2012 Runners-up
- 2013 NSW Club Champions
- 2014 NSW Club Champions
- 2015 Runners-up
- 2016 NSW Club Champions
- 2017 Runners-up
- 2018 Runner-up
- 2019 Third
- 2020 NSW Club Champions
- 2021 NSW Club Champions
- 2022 NSW Club Champions
OTHER MAJOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS
- 1992 WTC won the inaugural NSW Club Duathlon Challenge Championship.
- 1998 Third in the inaugural Australian Club Triathlon Championship.
JUNIORS
The Club has a proud history of junior development. This is evidenced by the success of the club in the Sydney Junior Metropolitan Championship and NSW State Junior Club Championship.
JUNIOR METROPOLITAN CUP CHAMPIONSHIP
- 1999, 2000 & 2001 Champions
NSW JUNIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
- 2002 Champions,
- 2003 Runners-up
Many junior club members have been selected over the years to be included in the NSWIS Junior Development Squad they are Yvette Fisher, Fiona Warneke, Angela Jones, Daniel Howitt, Pieter Boer, Jamie Murcott, Scott O'Connor, Sarah Fletcher, Amy Eager, Shaun Thompson, Ben Hammond.
Other Warringah Triathlon Club juniors ranked in the State include Gavin Scott, Paul Johnson, Tim Keary, Anna-Marie and Erika Shepherd, Jamie Warren, Stuart Strong, Matt Robertson.
OFFICE BEARERS & COMMITTEE
The first committee formed included
- President Kim JOHNSON 1985-???
- Vice President Martin QUINN 1985- ???
- Treasurer Allen "Eddie" EDWARDS (1985-1995)
- Chris TULLY
- Warren SULLIVAN
- Anne Jenkins was later involved with the club.
CLUB PRESIDENTS
- Neil Carlyle (President) (1995-1996)
- Richard Smith (1997-1999)
- Tony Irving served the club for 10 years and was Vice President 1997-2002
- Mick Smith (2000-2003)
- Jo Quarrell (2004-2006), Anthony Hooper (Vice President 2004-2006)
- Tim Scott (2007 - 2012)
- Travis Bottomley (2012- 2014), Chris Harmer (Vice President 2012-2015)
- John Moore (2014 - 2017), David Wiles (Vice President 2015 - 2017)
- David Wiles (2017 - present), Alex Gooch (Vice President 2017 - 2019) Deanna Waters (2019-2022)
LIFE MEMBERS
- Mick Smith
- Geoff Thorsen
- Bev Thorsen
- Linda Smith
- Rob Howitt
- Graham Latta
- Lindsay Anderson