IRONMAN and TriDot have announced that IRONMAN Hall of Famer Michellie Jones, an Olympic medallist and the first Australian woman to win the IRONMAN World Championship, has joined the IRONMAN U team as a Master Coach.

According to IRONMAN… ‘IRONMAN U Master Coaches serve a fundamental role in the development and evolution of educational content designed for coaches training athletes specifically for long distance triathlons.’

“Michellie Jones brings not only a wealth of top-calibre experience and a coaching pedigree of the highest level, but also an enthusiasm for the athlete experience that aligns with the values that IRONMAN U has always embraced,” said Marieka Barnard, Chief Marketing Officer for The IRONMAN Group.

“Michellie’s exuberance and joyous personality bring so much energy to the sport. We believe that Michellie will not only further raise the bar for IRONMAN U, but she’ll also ensure everyone remembers to enjoy the journey.”

Michellie Jones is one of the most diversely accomplished triathletes of all-time, leaving an mark on the sport and on IRONMAN racing. As a two-time ITU Triathlon World Champion (1992 and 1993) and XTERRA Triathlon World Champion (1996), Jones carried her success into the 2000 Olympic Games, taking home a silver medal in triathlon.

She continued to showcase her talent in 2005 with a win at the IRONMAN Florida triathlon and a second-place finish in her first appearance at the IRONMAN World Championship. She followed this with a win at the 2006 IRONMAN Arizona triathlon and ultimately, winning the 2006 IRONMAN World Championship.

Jones returned to the global stage again when, at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, she served as a guide for para triathlete Katie Kelly, taking home the gold medal. In addition to her induction into the IRONMAN Hall of Fame in 2019, Jones has also been inducted into the ITU Hall of Fame and the Triathlon Australia Hall of Fame.

She continues to give back to the sport of triathlon as an IRONMAN U Certified Coach at Giddy Up Multisports Coaching, as well as serving as Head Coach for the University of California San Diego Triton triathlon team.

“As one of the most successful triathletes in the history of the sport, we’re thrilled and honoured to have Michellie join the IRONMAN U Master Coach team,” said Jeff Booher, Founder and CEO of TriDot (Official Training Platform of IRONMAN).

“Athletes and coaches alike will benefit from her incredible accomplishments in the sport, her passion for helping athletes and coaches on their triathlon journeys, and her deep experience and knowledge about what it takes to become a successful athlete or coach.”

He continued, “Michellie’s unique pioneering mindset always strives to find better ways to improve and raise the bar for herself and those around her. As a Master Coach, her impact on our coaching community will help coaches worldwide deliver higher quality services to athletes on their journey to success.”

Eight-time IRONMAN World Champion, IRONMAN Hall of Famer, and IRONMAN U Master Coach Paula Newby-Fraser said “There is no athlete in the history of the sport as diversely successful as Michellie Jones.

“From Olympic medals to world titles across all distances and disciplines, the key to her success has always been professionalism and preparation. From dedicating herself to learning the technical skills of mountain biking to perfecting nutrition of IRONMAN racing and everything in between – no stone was left unturned in pursuits of knowledge and understanding, and how to turn it into results.”

IRONMAN U is an online education and certification platform that offers instruction for coaches specifically catering to the needs of IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 athletes. It features a coaching certification course led by an elite team of Master Coaches, an international coach community, and the Find a Coach tool.

IRONMAN U has recently launched a freshly updated IRONMAN U Certification Course in collaboration with and hosted by TriDot, the Official Training Platform of IRONMAN. This is a project that newly-appointed Master Coach Michellie Jones will play a large role in overseeing, alongside her peers, including long time IRONMAN U Master Coach Mark Allen.