The Women’s Triathlon Training Program (WTTP) is the flagship novice training program for Females in Training (FIT). It encourages women to try triathlon for the first time; and to return to triathlon after a period away from the sport. The WTTP is an exciting opportunity for women to enjoy the sport of triathlon in a supportive, female-only environment.
WTTP Scholarship 2018
In 2018, for the first time, FIT offered two scholarships to extend this opportunity to women who otherwise would not have been able to participate. In addition, two partial scholarships, covering the 12 months of FIT membership fees, were also awarded. We asked three of last year’s recipients, Kate, Caitlin and Taisa, what the scholarship meant to them, and how they have benefitted from the program.
What did they say about the program and the scholarship?
A common factor in joining WTTP was the desire to do a triathlon, while lacking the confidence and know-how to go about it. For Taisa, another key reason for joining the WTTP was that she had only recently moved to Canberra from Brazil, so found it a great way to get out and meet new people; while the routine of regular group exercise has been integral to Kate’s recovery from postnatal depression. This camaraderie and community are key to FIT and to the WTTP, with experienced coaches and helpers on hand for each discipline every step of the way. Kate summed it up, saying, “We are so lucky to have these wonderful women help motivate and teach us”; while Caitlin was struck by how “supportive and welcoming” everyone was.
For everyone who completes the WTTP, the benefits will be as varied as their reasons for signing up. For this year’s scholarship recipients, those benefits were wide-ranging. While all three said that their physical fitness improved, they also gained valuable knowledge and skills that they weren’t expecting. Caitlin gained a range of fitness and general skills, from learning to swim, to how to change a bike tyre!
Sounds great – what next?
Triathlon is a challenging but rewarding sport and the Women’s Triathlon Training Program aims to introduce women to the sport in a supportive and friendly environment, providing them with the skills to compete at a range of levels. If you’d like to ‘tri it out’ but think the cost of the program could be prohibitive, why not apply for the FIT WTTP Scholarship 2019 and see what benefits you can get from the program.