Rich Williams

‘I suppose that’s what I get from all this; learning how to push myself further and further and find the point that most people never want to experience.’

I work full time as an account manager for the Vale Resort. I started in the golf pro-shop and now I’ve been there for almost 15 years. Golf was my main interest, and it gave me the chance to play almost every day. 

I progressed within the company, moving into the sales and marketing team before becoming a senior manager. It’s my responsibility to oversee all of our large accounts and sports teams’ stays. 

I love my job. I’ve met famous faces from Juventus, Real Madrid, AC Milan, and the British and Irish Lions. It’s a pretty special feeling being able to work with elite teams and to see athletes like Ronaldo and Gareth Bale on a daily basis. 

I plan their logistics for overnight stays and training camps, ensuring everything runs smoothly from arrival to departure.

My role includes traveling around the country to meet agents and visit clubs and companies first hand. I’ve also been lucky enough to attend international trade shows in cities like Barcelona and Dubrovnik…definitely a perk of the job!

I also have a huge passion for sport outside of work and a keen interest in science and physiology. I started my own strength and conditioning coaching business in 2016, focusing on helping athletes helping achieve their fitness goals.  

I’ve worked with athletes from a variety of backgrounds; from national level golfers to regional level rugby players and international basketball players. In 2018 I went on to complete a Masters in Sports and Exercise Science which has been invaluable in helping with advanced programming. 

I’m always interested in reading the latest research into fitness and nutrition and it certainly feels like much of the commitment and sacrifice from studying part-time is embedded into my current lifestyle where I’m having to consciously build in good habits like training before or after work, and even during lunchtimes. 

Until completing Ironman Wales 2019, most of my time was spent playing golf. But I have a lot of special memories from playing different sports before taking up triathlon.

There’s one memory in particular that stands out: representing Wales at the University Home Internationals at the home of golf, St Andrews. It’s a stunning golf course and a place with incredible history. Being able to represent Wales, playing against the best golfers in the UK, was nothing short of awesome. 

After I stopped playing rugby I ended up searching for that one thing that would allow me to really push my limits. 

My uncle convinced me to try a sprint triathlon in 2017 and we trained for a few weeks with no real structure, all for fun. That same year we headed down to Tenby to watch Ironman Wales. Watching those athletes grinding out every step in the wind and the rain was a complete inspiration. 

Since then, every day has been about taking small steps towards becoming an endurance athlete and finding my boundaries. I suppose that’s what I get from all this; learning how to push myself further and further and find the point that most people never want to experience. 

‘Success would be to find new limits year on year, knowing that there are new milestones to reach as every season passes.’ 

The highest high of this journey? It has to be crossing that line in Tenby. An Ironman debut, family everywhere and crowds shouting your name; the complete satisfaction that comes with knowing every single early morning, on the road or in the pool, has paid off. 

There’s no moment that stands out as the lowest, though there was a very tough moment 25 or 26km into that marathon. But no, nothing that has been severe enough to make me want to quit. 

There were some big ups and downs in 2020. I started the season on a high after a solid winter with improvements across the board, but that was swiftly followed by the massive disappointment of all events being canceled. 

Having such a solid team around me and a very driven coach meant this was pretty swiftly turned around and we started working towards Everesting instead; another massive high. Group Workouts on TrainerRoad during lockdowns coupled with a number of ‘Weekenders’ over the summer months, when restrictions were eased, felt like being part of a triathlon team. The team ethos integrated with the coaching methods is giving me the platform to be the best endurance athlete I can be.  

I think 2020 has allowed us all to become more resilient athletes, adapting to change and driving relentlessly towards a Plan B when Plan A is disrupted. Whatever happens to my plans for 2021, I know I’m prepared to redirect my attention and that I’m more than capable of still making the season a success. 

If I get to pin a number on this season, I’ve got three clear goals for 2021: 

• Beat my Ironman PB (I’m due to race Ironman Vichy this summer)

• Set a 10km PB under 39 minutes and a 5km under 19 minutes, and 

• Complete a sea swim over 4km (Porthcawl to Ogmore anyone?)