Adam Waugh, Morpeth.

When I started talking to Vicky I had not appreciated the scope of help she was able to give me.  I was competing in a single handed sailing endurance race lasting over a year and was helped by Vicky in the lead up to the event and during it. 

At times I became very muddled and uncertain and regular sessions with Vicky cleared a path to enable me to continue and ultimately do very well in the race.

Rich Cross, Glasgow. It’s maybe quite simple, but I think I find more enjoyment in running now – both through learning to deal with challenging conditions and terrain, and through techniques like mindfulness. I found the whole process really enjoyable, interesting and beneficial.  We often covered a lot of ground in our sessions (it wasn’t unusual to overrun as we were engrossed talking about something or other), so getting Vicky’s thorough session summaries afterwards was incredibly useful – usually with further links or reading material to go into more depth (and ‘homework’ helped!).  Support messages during the event, and video call afterward for a post-mortem were great.

And, as I really can’t pick just one, completing the Cape Wrath Ultra AND enjoying myself while I did so – I think I owe a lot of that to the work I did with Vicky.  

Avril Leonard, Glasgow. Little did I know how much tailored support Vicky would provide and how truly transformative this would be. In hindsight, any other approach would not have worked for me. Being AuDHD (Autism Spectrum Condition and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) I struggle with instruction and become overwhelmed when there isn’t flexibility in my plans while simultaneously needing routine.

With each week’s training based on feedback from the week before and careful consideration given to what was happening for me, Vicky’s approach felt super supportive of my needs. Vicky made great efforts to understand my cognitive rigidity, taking extra care to let me know everything on my plan was flexible.

Carol Mathews, Texas, USA. Dragon’s Back Race 2025 will be an unparalleled achievement of a lifetime, even for a Hatchling. The race is one of the hardest undertakings of my life, but the reward is worth the effort and sacrifices. I struggled the first 2 days with the climbs as I am a flat-lander with little opportunity, training and technique for the climbs, but I finished them. Late. 

I was frustrated and afraid I would not be allowed to finish but I went back to my work with Vicky and dug in.  From day 3 onward, I tried my hardest to stay focused on moving, controlling my emotions, hydrating, and nutrition on the hill and the race turned around for me. The race was not easier from then on, as the distance was longer and the bogs deeper, but I had strength to draw from what I knew beforehand. There would be adversity and I had weaknesses, and they would be revealed but I also had strengths ready to show themselves as well. 

Thanks to Vicky, I knew there were opportunities to focus, provide patience and self-care, and dig in to move forward.

Christina Cox, Glasgow. Christina and I worked together during the pandemic towards her ‘bucket list’ goal of completing an Ironman. She well and truly completed IM Mallorca in October 2021. Christina went on to complete the Celtman Solo event in June 2022. We continue to work together on achieving her now never-ending bucket list of endurance goals.

Christina has this to say, “Working with Vicky is a rewarding joy. Being a data focussed person who is always looking at my numbers, Vicky works with that, but her approach of introducing psychology focussed coaching makes my training multi-dimensional. Thus, helping me to grow as an athlete. By sharing wisdom on how to interpret the plethora of social media information on sports performance Vicky has helped me to become a more empowered athlete in training and during events – giving me the confidence to be confident. Overcoming recurring injuries, and dealing with the knock that had on my confidence, Vicky has supported me to complete my first Ironman, age 54, in a faster time than I could have imagined and with the widest, longest lasting smile on my face ever. The effectiveness of Vicky’s approach is evident in results and happiness!“

Michael Mower, Kippen. It has been very hard to summarise and break down my experience with Vicky as my coach. She has been an indispensable part of my training and recovery.

Having stumbled across Vicky online around 2 ½ half years ago, I soon knew how fortunate I was to have found her. I had zero background in triathlon or endurance events and had ambitions far bigger than my fitness or skill set. I had no idea where to start. I was fully expecting to get a training plan and be sent on my way. 

At our introductory meet up, Vicky’s experience and depth of knowledge came through immediately. By being athlete-focused and grounded, Vicky transformed what would have been unrealistic goals into the achievable. I went from having zero experience to being half-ironman distance ready in around 6 months. Vicky has taught me how to get the most out of my training. Focusing on an individual and specifically not generic training plan, has helped me understand my training habits: good and bad. This absolutely carries through to life in general. Vicky’s impact has spread far beyond my original, naively ambitious training goals. She has led me to a better understanding of myself.

Midway through my first half-ironman event, I realised how well prepared I was.  I recognised that during training, Vicky had suggested that I practice similar routes and experiences to what I was now encountering in the race. I have such confidence on every start line, knowing how well I have been prepared.

Regardless of how big or small your aspirations are or how inexperienced or experienced you are, Vicky is a great coach from whom you will learn. Whether it’s a small detail in a transition, small tweak to a running technique or understanding yourself mentally, Vicky will not only make your goals more achievable but a damn site more enjoyable along the way. 

I absolutely wouldn’t have completed the events I have without her guidance, knowledge and all-round good nature. It has been an absolute pleasure having Vicky as a coach.

Sarah Kinsella, Glasgow.
Sarah and I have worked together for over 10 years. I owe her a great deal.

Here is what she has to say, “I agree with the comment on your new website,“To be a success in sport, learn to listen to yourself”. It has taken me 10 years of training to realise this. I am so pleased that I have gotten there. It certainly opens up so many possibilities in life to have an attitude of giving things a go and seeing were it leads you. The most important element has been that you have listened to me and enabled me to achieve the things that I have wanted to. You have been kinder to me than I am to myself. Sometimes I feel that you know me better than I know myself. I trust that you would not suggest that I do something that I had not developed the skills to achieve.”

Sarah Heward, Killin. Sarah and I have worked together for over 3 years. We are opposite, Sarah: competitive, me: passive, but it works for us. Sarah completed IM Lanzarote 70.3 in October 2021 and competed in numerous endurance events in 2022. Sarah and I worked entirely on a life coaching and counselling basis in 2023.

Sarah H says, “I met Vicky over 5 years ago when she was head coach at GTC and I liked her style straight away. I warmed to her as a person and most importantly, I felt she was a safe pair of hands – I trusted her. Initially, Vicky coached me as a club member for swimming on a weekly basis and at the annual training camps for cycling and running. Vicky’s style was very different to what I was used to. Vicky is patient and takes a holistic view. Previously, I was on a hamster wheel of intense over training and rigorous data analysis. I was injured from ‘doing’ as much as I could and never took time to work on myself. Vicky has given me a fresh perspective that to get the best results and the most fulfilment from sport, you have to work on both: yourself and the disciplines involved in your sport. It took me quite a while to adjust to slowing down in order to speed up and most importantly to get more enjoyment out of what I was doing. I now value the time I spend doing strength and conditioning and drills. Thanks to Vicky, I now allow myself time to look after every detail in race preparation, so there is nothing overlooked or any added stress on race day. I think my life in sport will be better quality, more enjoyable, and longer lasting with Vicky by my side.

Fiona Russell, Inverness. Fiona and I worked together with her very specific Age Group qualifier goal in mind. She has also been a great friend and help to me in launching The Sports Counsel. Fiona is also known as FionaOutdoors.

Here’s what Fiona feels, “We are all different and a one-size-fits-all coaching plan has never seemed like the right approach for me. Like most people, I have my ups and downs both physically and mentally and when training for a goal, I felt I needed a coach who would listen, work with – and alongside me – and also try to understand what motivates (or deters) me from performing well. Vicky’s coaching, feedback, carefully thought out plans (based on how I’d been feeling previously) and empathy/understanding allowed me to flourish and strengthen. I felt Vicky really listened and worked with me to help me to achieve success. And, I did achieve what I targeted, despite being very unsure that I would at the outset. I won a place at the World Age Group Triathlon Championships in a year when it was highly competitive because of the event taking place in London. I recommend Vicky’s considered, thoughtful and well-educated approach to coaching, especially as a woman and even more so as a woman in her middle years with all the ups and downs of menopause hormones. She is brilliant.”