College Sport: Champion in the making

Macleans College triathlete Trent Dodds is acutely aware of the importance of the mental side of multisport. Photo / Dean Purcell

Talented young multisport star has the attitude and work ethic to go much further in hugely demanding discipline

Any successful triathlete needs to thrive off hard work.

Trent Dodds is the epitome of that approach. The 16-year-old Year 12 Macleans College student is one of the country's top junior triathletes and duathletes. Not bad when you consider he started training seriously in the sport only two years ago when he linked with coach Bruce Hunter of Global Triathlon Coaching, who also helps with the Macleans athletics team.

Dodds had a top-10 finish at last month's world under-19 duathlon championships in Australia, a creditable effort considering he was giving away up to two years to his rivals.

"I was happy. I was hoping to go a little better but I'm not disappointed as it was only my first world champs," says Dodds.

He enjoys duathlon more than triathlon at this point but knows triathlon will dominate the higher he wants to go in multisport, given it is an Olympic discipline.

Running is Dodds' forte. He is a good cyclist, but swimming is his major work-on of the three triathlon disciplines. He's focusing on technique with a specialist swim coach in an effort to correct that.

While he comes under Hunter's wing, the opportunity to train with the likes of elite triathlete Ryan Sissons is priceless for Dodds.

"It's good to see what he does and how strong we'll need to be when older," Dodds says.

He may be youngish in training hours and experience, but Dodds is acutely aware of the importance of the mental side of multisport.

"I know a lot of people who go into a race not thinking they can win. You are at a strong disadvantage if you don't have a good mental approach.

"During the race, I try not to ... overthink it or I will start to follow someone else's race plan."

Hunter has a long-term plan for Dodds' development, so it's not just about winning the next race.

"He's obviously got the talent," says Hunter, himself a fine triathlete. "It's about developing the right way and making sure it's a long-term focus. His main asset is his willingness to 'hurt' himself. He's never shied away from the work."

With the travel and training required - often over 20 hours a week - Dodds is grateful to Macleans for giving him time to catch up anything he misses at school.

Macleans seems to breed top runners and triathletes. Senior boy Leo Roper is an ASB YSPOTY finalist in the multisport category.

Dodds has his medium-term programme mapped out. Qualification for the 2016 junior world championships in Mexico will, he hopes, come from races in Wellington or Gisborne. But longer term, he has his eye on the 2024 Olympics. As a Pathway to Podium athlete, he will get much of the support he needs to reach that goal.

On the immediate horizon, he is a finalist for next week's Counties Manukau junior sportsman of the year, and he will be competing at next month's schools nationals in Timaru in the senior boys' 1500m and 3000m. Last year he won the junior boys' road race, showing his versatility. He is already the reigning national schools under-16 duathlon and triathlon champion.

There's much more to come from Trent Dodds.