Denise Tracey
Triathlon Coach based in Edinburgh, Scotland
As a Coach
Denise has been coaching triathletes since 2019 as a coach at her local triathlon club in West Lothian. Between 2019 and 2022, Denise was the Head coach in the club, working with a team of coaches to support and develop triathletes with a wide range of capabilities, completing her BTF Triathlon Level 2 coaching qualification in 2021.
Denise joined Tri Training Harder as a coach in 2021, building on the qualifications through the experience and knowledge passed on by the coaching team.
In 2019 Denise set up and continues to run her own Jog Scotland running group, a mixed ability group of runners who meet weekly. This delivers on her passion for helping people to do much more than they think they can.
As a Person
Denise studied for a PhD in chemistry in Manchester and worked as a research chemist for five years before moving into business and marketing roles. After completing an MBA in 1997, she moved to Scotland, working for Gore in various business and project-related roles. A lot of this work involved leading and coaching teams of people to deliver new products to market.
Denise is passionate about helping others achieve more than they think they can. Those with little sporting experience or low self-belief just need some support, focus and guidance to do what they want.
When she is not coaching others or training herself, Denise can be found at the local community garden, growing vegetables for the community cafe or being the technical guru for the local drama group unless she is off at the beach or in the Highlands with her husband in their campervan.
As an Athlete
Having had no previous interest in sport at school or later, Denise started running in 2004 as a way to get fit and lose weight. In 2007 her husband was involved in a severe motorcycle accident, leading to a lower leg amputation. This led to an involvement with 500 miles; a charity set up to provide workshops and training in prosthetic limb building and fitting in Africa. As a challenge and a way to raise money, Denise did her first Sprint distance triathlon at Stirling. At the time of entering the race, she could swim about 200m of breaststroke, so it really was a challenge. Successful completion of the event got Denise hooked on triathlons.
Denise has now completed numerous triathlons from this late and small start, including IRONMAN UK twice, all 5 Gauntlet Series races in one year, and represented Team GB in Romania at the European Middle Distance Championships. She continues to race at various distances, up to middle distance. She describes her most significant achievement as learning to swim crawl and being able to keep it going.
Her personal motto for training is ‘You never regret the session you do, just the ones you don’t do.’
Her motto for racing is ‘Trust the training and enjoy it.’
Read Denise’s most recent athlete feedback
Q&A with Denise
When did you get into triathlon? My first race was in 2008, although I had been interested in the idea of triathlon for a couple of years before then.
How did you first get involved in triathlon? It was a means to challenge myself to raise money for charity.
What is your favourite discipline? Running, as it’s what I did first when taking up sports as a mature adult.
Why did you choose to take up coaching? I love helping people to achieve what they thought they couldn’t do. There are so many reasons not to do something and so many voices saying it is hard, or you can’t do it, that to be a voice believing in people and guiding them to achieve their goals is awesome.
What is your greatest athletic achievement? In 2014 I completed my first Ironman in Bolton which was truly spectacular. But representing Team GB in Romania in 2019 at the European Middle Distance Championships was very special. I know that’s two but I couldn’t really chose 1!
What is your greatest coaching achievement? It’s hard to pinpoint one. When I have an athlete show up who tells me they can’t run, they are too unfit or too heavy, then seeing them complete their first 5km or 10km is wonderful.
What one piece of advice would you give to someone new to triathlon? Give it a go. Not all races are Ironman distances, and not everyone is a world champion, but we all race the same course and we all have our own reasons for being there. Whatever else happens you’ll make a lot of new friends and get a lot of enjoyment.
Favourite quote: I don’t really use a lot of quotes, but this really resonates with me for life and sport:
I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.
From the poem by William Ernest Henley and used by the Invictus Games
Read Denise’s latest blogs
