Gale Bernhardt - USA Olympic Triathlon Team & Olympic Cycling Coach

Tough Girl Challenges is all about motivating and inspiring women and girls. As well as interviewing athletes, explorers and adventures. I also think it's important to interview the women behind the scenes, the women who support and help others to achieve their goals.   In this episode I interview Gale Bernhardt, she has a real passion for helping others and she found this passion when she was sixteen years old. As a renowned Olympic Coach with over twenty years experience she knows what she's talking about. She's also heavily involved in cycling and multi-sport athlete development.   In this episode, Gale gives a fascinating insight into how the sport of triathlon has grown over the years since its birth in 1976. She has been there from the start. Gale was one of the first female coaches to realise how big triathlons were going to be in the future. Gale reminisces about her first event, and why she became hooked on the sport. She provides advice and tips for women who want to do their first sprint triathlon and its not as difficult as you think it would be. She is realistic about the training and the time frames needed to complete an event and its not the twenty or thirty hours of training each week as you would expect. You can train for your first sprint triathlon in five hours a week!   Gale also discusses the importance of goal setting and gives great advice on how to sit down and do this. I also share one of my more outlandish goals!   She's worked with Nicole Freedman a road racer who wanted to go to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She had been written off by everyone else in the States and no one else believed she would be able to get there. She was overtrained and undertrained at the same time, and was in a really difficult place. Gale helped her and she can help you to!   This is an episode not to be missed, especially if you're interested in triathlons and want to know more about how to start. Gale also talks about mental preparation and the importance of nutrition in your diet. Please visit her website www.galebernhardt.com.   Gale is on twitter @GaleBerhardt I'm also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL. Listen to the podcast and send us a tweet! It would be great to hear from you.      Please check out the website - ToughGirlChallenges.com and subscribe to the newsletter to be kept updated of future podcasts and challenges.