Dominique Donner is a well-known name in
South African swimming and triathlon circles. Starting off in school swimming
whilst at primary school, she progressed to become one of the dominant female
triathletes in South Africa, including several stints competing in Europe and
at World Championship level.
Now retired from elite level competition,
Dominique has gone back to her roots so to speak, and is a highly regarded
swimming coach based in Ballito just north of Durban.
I caught up with her recently for a quick
Q&A on all things coaching and triathlon.
Nature Gym: Dominique, you have had a long
sporting career starting with school swimming and biathlon followed by elite
triathlon. What has been the key to your longevity and continued involvement in
endurance sport?
Dominique Donner: I have always enjoyed all
sport. What has kept me going is the possibility of travel and of meeting
people. The feeling of well being after
a training session is extremely satisfying. And the key to that longevity is
that glass of red in the evening after a long day!
DD: Coaching just seemed a natural progression
for me. I love helping other athletes achieve their goals. My coaching
philosophy; obviously one keeps up to date with trends, but I always trust my
gut feeling.
NG: What are your thoughts on the
characteristics and attributes that mold a person into a good coach?
DD: To be a good coach you must have a
presence. You can have all the knowledge in the world but if you cannot express
it then you cannot be a great coach. I
think I relate to children well and I am able to bring out of them self-motivation.
NG: With many of your swimmers being in the
junior ranks, what would be your advice for parents of budding swimmers wanting
their kids to pursue an elite swimming career?
DD: Encourage them of course but trust the
coach and listen to the coach and let them be.
They have to want it!
NG: Moving on to your triathlon career, you
were one of the dominant ocean swimmers – male or female - domestically and
internationally. Given that the swim leg of a triathlon is often the most
daunting for many competitors, could you give some pointers with regards to
surf swimming, be it an 800m or 3800m swimming leg?
DD: Get swimming fit! Join a squad and swim
structured sessions. Swimming up and down for 2000m is not going to make you a
strong or confident swimmer. Practice open water swimming and enter open water
races. There are many events on the open water swimming calendar all over the
country.
NG: How important is mastering the flip
turn for developing all round swimming ability?
DD: The flip turn is fun and makes one feel
super efficient when doing laps. It’s a real confidence booster as well as helping
with faster times!
NG: Why do many runners sink when kicking
with the board?
DD: Runners really don’t have an excuse;
they really just don’t want to kick! Time and effort is required.
NG: With your swimming background you
quickly became a formidable cyclist, yet often battled with lingering running
injuries, including the dreaded stress fracture. How were you able to overcome
these injuries and what would be your advice to swimmers taking up running?
DD: Running coach Bobby McGee helped me
with my technique and introduced me to aqua jogging; within 4 months of
training with Bobby, my 10km time improved 4 minutes! (From a 41 to a 37)! My
advice to swimmers starting a running programme is to break your running
sessions into to run walks and build up slowly. Learn the running drills and
include them in every session. Technique is the key to running success.
NG: You had a long career in triathlon,
including several stints overseas, the mainstay being Southern France. Could you describe the French triathlon culture
of the 1990s?
DD: Training in France was just the most
amazing time of my life. I enjoyed everything about France, the people, the
countryside, the food and the culture. I
never raced as a member of a club but as an individual.
NG: How have you adapted to life after
elite sport? What are your personal sporting goals these days?
DD: I stopped raced in 2003. My first child Luc was born in 2004 and I
have done a few races now and again,
the highlight being Ironman France – in Nice - in 2010. Rachael was born in
September this year and I hope to do an event like Ironman again. Perhaps go
back to Nice. It’s a beautiful race. I need a purpose to train so setting a
goal is a must.
