Enjoyment: The Part of Progress Nobody Talks About

After months and months of hard work, the taper process before race day has a way of creating space to reflect.

This week, one of my athletes shared a message on social media that genuinely meant a great deal to me. We’ve worked together for years – first through swimming, and later as she joined the squad as a full-time coached triathlete.

Included in the post was a sentence I particularly enjoyed: “He taught me the fun is in the development, not just the finish line.”

That sentiment matters to me. Ambition and hard work are essential, but training also needs to be enjoyable. The shared laughs, the satisfaction of a good session, and the small wins along the way are not separate from progress – they are often what make it sustainable.

We’re not just trying to hit a set of numbers, or tick off sessions, or work harder. We’re trying to build something that lasts: confidence, resilience, and a genuine enjoyment of the process.

Over the years, we’ve navigated setbacks, adapted to challenging circumstances, and built towards things that once felt out of reach. As she put it: “Together, we’ve conquered things I never dreamt possible.”

From surgery to an Ironman eight months later; from mid-pack to front-pack swimming; from building endurance on the bike to becoming a strong endurance runner – the results are brilliant.

But none of that comes from ambition alone.

It comes from learning patience, trusting the process, adapting when needed, enjoying the effort… and appreciating the journey.

She finished her message by saying “Your belief in me is convincing.”

That is a privilege as a coach. The aim is not for an athlete to depend on your belief forever – it is to help them build enough belief in themselves to chase ambitious goals with confidence.

As we look towards Wales, expectations are high. But whatever happens on race day, I’m immensely proud of the work that has brought us here.

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Sammie’s message is universal: progress is built through many things, including patience, trust, belief, enjoyment – and time.

It takes patience to accept that development cannot be rushed. Trust to follow the process when the result is not immediately visible. Belief to keep pursuing a goal when it feels a little beyond reach.

But it also takes enjoyment.

Training is demanding, and ambitious goals ask a lot of us. If every session becomes something merely to endure on the way to a result, it is difficult to sustain the work – or appreciate what the sport gives us. Learning to enjoy the effort, the small wins, the shared laughs, and the journey itself is not a distraction from progress. It is part of it.

We’ve said it before, but meaningful progress does not come from one perfect training block or one breakthrough race. It comes from working together over months and years: learning what works, adapting when life or health changes the plan, building confidence through small wins, and continuing to move forward.

It is not just about preparing for the next event. It is about creating a sustainable, enjoyable path towards the athlete you want to become.

Sammie’s journey is a brilliant example of that. The results matter, of course – but so does her growing ability to enjoy the process, trust herself, and recognise just how far she has come.

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