History

FROM THEN TO NOW

Warringah Triathlon Club was formed in 1985 to bring together athletes from Sydney's Northern Beaches who wanted to try the new sport of triathlon.

Warren Sullivan, Kim Johnston, Allen Edwards, Martin Quinn & Chris Tully trained together in the gym at the Warringah Aquatic Centre and came up with the idea to start a Triathlon Club.

The proposed name for the club was Manly Warringah Triathlon Club. However, someone pointed out that name had already been taken by another group of athletes. Hence the name Warringah Triathlon Club (WTC) was adopted.

In the first year the club had grown from about 20 athletes to over a hundred. By 1992/93 WTC had grown to 130 members, 86 males and 44 females. The Club is now one of the largest in Australia with 300 members.

Four Olympians have been members of WTC. Sydney 2000 Olympic Gold medalist Simon Whitfield (Triathlon), Nici Andronicus, Colin Hamilton (Modern Pentathlon) and Sheridan Burge-Lopez (Swimming).

The Club has many professional triathletes compete in the Australian Grand Prix Series and overseas events including Nici Andronicus, Deidre Grace & Helen McGeachie (St George Series), Blyth Hartnett, Grant Giles (Ironman) and Pieter Boer (Accenture Series)

Over the years the club has produced some of Australia's finest Triathletes and Duathletes many have been Australian and age group champions among them were:

  • Tony Sattler - 1989 Australian Ironman Champion and two-time Hawaiian Ironman qualifier and top ten finisher.
  • Adam Joyce - 1992 Australian Duathlon champion & 1992 18 year old Athletics NSW state 5km Champion.
  • Adam was 3rd in the 1992 World Duathlon championships held in USA.
  • Marc Dragan - member of the Australian team at both the 1991 & 1992 World Triathlon Championships.
  • Dave Williams - 1992 Australian Universities Triathlon champion and qualifier for the world university championships.
  • Nicky Carlyle - 1992 Australian duathlon age group champion and member of the Australian 1992 triathlon team.
  • PeterHolyfield - 1991 & 1992 Australian Duathlon age group champion
  • Simon Manson - World Duathlon Champion
  • Geoff Thorsen - 20 Australian Ironman Races and 16 Kona Hawaiian Ironmans 
  • Pete Jacobs - 17th at Ironman Hawaii in 2006, 3rd at Quelle Challenge Roth in 2007 with fastest swim and fastest run (2:44) and winner of numerous national and international events at Olympic and half ironman distance

Other well know successful triathletes were Richard Smith, Shane Floyd, Sean Vale, Matt Koorey, CallumMcCleod, Simon Skillicorn, Deidre Grace, Guy Wilding, Scott Wood and Richard Hobson.

FIRST RACE

The first club race was held around 1985/86. The race course was called the "Novice Circuit. It included a 500m swim in Narrabeen Lake, followed by a 2 lap 20km cycle along Pittwater Rd through Narrabeen shops, past the Antler Hotel (now known as the Sands Hotel, left into Ocean Street to Rat Park, finishing with a 5km run around the Lake.

ITU WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • 1991 - Surfers Paradise WTC had 9 members representing Australia including Richard Smith and Scott Wood.
  • 1992 - Toronto, Canada 10 members represented Australia including Richard Smith, Shane Floyd & Mel Giles.
  • 1994 - Wellington, NZ, Richard Smith & Sonia Henderson raced in the green and gold
  • 1998 - Lausanne, Switzerland, WTC had five athletes representing Australia in the ITU World Age Group Championships Linda & Michael Smith, Jacinta Worland, Ian Hutchinson & Nick Wilkinson.
  • 1999 - Montreal, Canada, Jacinta Worland was placed 4th in the women's 25-29 age category.
  • 2000 - Perth, eight members competed, Maureen Cummings (World Champion 35-39) won a gold medal, Sonia Henderson silver, Richard Thomas was 4th, narrowly beaten out of third. Linda Smith and Jacinta Worland also represented Australia, Hayley & Gary Ward represented Great Britain, Neil McNeil represented New Zealand.
  • 2001 - Edmonton, Canada, Jacinta Worland, Naomi Marsh and Maureen Cummings competed
  • 2002 - Cancun Mexico. Pieter Boer, Yvette Fisher
  • 2003 - Queenstown NZ- members Jo Quarrell, Darren Quarrell, Mick Smith, Neil McNeill, Robyn Nordstrand, Naomi Marsh, Peter Walker, Simon Manson, Fiona Warneke, Ben Holland (3rd), Graham Bruce, Lee Wallace, Heather Hozak, Yvette Fisher.
  • 2004 - Madeira, Portugal- Peter Shaw, Robert Johnson, Caroline DeMontort, John DeMontfort, Jo Quarrell, Darren Quarrell, Naomi Marsh, George Cheeke, Mick Outhroud.
  • 2005 - Hawaii, USA. Robyn Chin, Anthony Hooper, Daniel Howitt, Rob Howitt, Peter
    Walker, Sheryl Macrow-Cain, Sarah Fletcher, Sandy Park, Phil Dove.
  • 2006 - Lausanne, SWI. Darren Quarrell, Pam Greening, Sandy Park, Sven Piscke
  • 2007 -

ITU DUATHLON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • 2005, Newcastle, Aus. Katie Slattery, Heather Hozack, Rebecca Eveleigh, Rowena Walker, Peter
    Walker, Marion Gray, Mick Smith, Linda Smith, Darren Quarrell, Phil Dove

WORLD LONG COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • 2000 - France - John de Montfort
  • 2002 - Andre Van Gelder
  • 2005 - Denmark - Patricia Booth
  • 2006 - Canberra, AUS - Rebecca Eveleigh, Patricia Booth, Jill Pattison, Daniel Howitt, Steven Bastian, Anthony Hooper, John Hook, Rob Howitt, Mick Smith.

70.3 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • 2007 - USA - Tim Scott

HAWAII IRONMAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • 2000 Graham Bruce
  • 2002 Yvette Clements, Geoff Thorsen, Rob Howitt
  • 2003 Nick Gaffney and Geoff Thorsen represented the club.
  • 2004 Rob Howitt, Geoff Thorsen, Graeme McLean
  • 2005 Geoff Thorsen, Robyn Nordstrand, Kathryn Bryant, Jose Sanchez
  • 2006 Geoff Thorsen, Rob Howitt, Nicole Germaine, Pete Jacobs 
  • 2007 Geoff Thorsen, Robyn Nordstrand

NSW CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP

In 1994 a group of WTC athletes headed North for a race that Triathlon NSW had thrown together to ascertain the strongest club in the State.

WTC came third that year with just a handful of athletes. The next year new President Richard Smith and Garry Sussans made it their job to get the whole club together to Nelson Bay in an attempt to win the State Club Championships. It turned out a very professional affair, the club was represented with 125 athletes.

Club members were all dressed in identical uniforms, all staying at the one hotel, partying and racing as a team. A Tradition had started. Warringah that year became the No 1 Club in the State snatching the title from Cronulla Triathlon Club.

  • 1995 NSW Club Champions
  • 1996, 1997 & 1998 Runners-up
  • 1999 & 2000 Back to Back Championships
  • 2001 & 2002 Second placing both years
  • 2004 NSW Club Champions
  • 2005 Runners Up NSW Club Championships
  • 2006 Club Championships not held
  • 2007 NSW Club Champions

OTHER MAJOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • 1992 WTC won the inaugural NSW Club Duathlon Challenge Championship.
  • 1998 Third in the inaugural Australian Club Triathlon Championship.

JUNIORS

The Club has a proud history of junior development. This is evidenced by the success of the club in the Sydney Junior Metropolitan Championship and NSW State Junior Club Championship.

JUNIOR METROPOLITAN CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

  • 1999, 2000 & 2001 Champions

NSW JUNIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP

  • 2002 Champions,
  • 2003 Runners-up

Many junior club members have been selected over the years to be included in the NSWIS Junior Development Squad they are Yvette Fisher, Fiona Warneke, Angela Jones, Daniel Howitt, Pieter Boer, Jamie Murcott, Scott O'Connor, Sarah Fletcher, Amy Eager, Shaun Thompson, Ben Hammond.

Other WTC juniors ranked in the State include Gavin Scott, Paul Johnson, Tim Keary, Anna-Marie and Erika Shepherd, Jamie Warren, Stuart Strong, Matt Robertson.

OFFICE BEARERS & COMMITTEE

The first committee formed included Kim Johnston (President), Martin (Marty) QUINN (Vice President)

  • Allan "Eddie" EDWARDS (Treasurer), Chris TULLY & Warren SULLIVAN
  • Anne Jenkins was later involved with the club.

FIRST COMMITTEE

  • President Kim JOHNSON 1985-???
  • Vice President Martin QUINN 1985- ???
  • Treasurer Allen EDWARDS (1985-1995)

CLUB PRESIDENTS

  • Neil Carlyle (President) (1995-1996)
  • Richards Smith (1997-1999)
  • Mick Smith (2000-2003)
  • Jo Quarrell (2004-2006)
  • Tim Scott (2007 - current) 
  • Anthony Hooper (Vice President) (2004 - 2006)
  • Tony Irving served the club for 10 years and was Vice President 1997-2002

 

 

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