Nicolette Griffioen

I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and was privileged to grow up in a nature-loving family. Bush holidays, 4x4ing, hiking and bird watching were commonplace activities, and my passion for the outdoors was no doubt founded during these early years. I was never, however, a runner. In fact, I suffered from exercise-induced asthma as a child and happily carried that excuse for not running with me for years after I'd outgrown it. I took ballet seriously, swam for fun, and played fairly decent hockey (the most running I did), focusing most of my attention on academics throughout school. 

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  At some point it dawned on me that I had zero muscial ability and was very far from being a natural dancer (amazing how far hard work can take one though!), marking the end of my ballet years. During my school-leaving exam period, with all extra murals terminated, I suddenly realised I was going to need a new physical activity. And what simpler and more accessible exercise is there really, than running? 

I started with 3km training runs, fighting the urge to walk, suffering hugely on the "climbs," and concluding each session clinging to our gate looking like an over-ripe tomato. I then joined a gym and took up spinning, soon becoming an indoor cycling instructor for some extra cash. Watching the early morning swimmers from the top floor of the gym, and realising that they were in my spinning class immediately after, suddenly caught my attention. Who were these guys?

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Before switching all my attention to trail running, I was a competitive triathlete and mountain biker. My early athlete days were distinctly multi-sport, but studying eventually forced me to be more selective in my training. My love for dogs led me down the (very long) road of veterinary science, but I eventually emerged, relatively unscathed, and more invested in sport than ever. While completing my degree I did a UESCA running coach certification, and started coaching professionally during my community service year.

I have now been competing for almost 15 years and still race competitively, albeit longer, slower distances. I have more than 5 years of coaching experience, many more of self-coaching and racing experience, and love sharing everything I've learnt over the years with others. I'm particularly interested in nutrition, having struggled personally with fueling while running for a very long time. My other specific area of interest is the mental aspect of endurance training and racing, whether it be ultra running, cycling or extreme triathlon. To quote the world record holder, James Lawrence - 100 Ironman distance triathlons in 100 consecutive days - it is 100% physical and 100% mental. The two go hand-in-hand, and that's what I strive to perfect with athletes.