Be Curious

Coaches on deck - Yuxi Training Camp, January 2026

Different country, different language, different culture, yet every day feels very familiar. Two months on deck with Brett in Yuxi, at the Chinese Triathlon Winter Training Base.

The training facilities are world class, and their close proximity gives Brett the freedom to structure a program without logistical restriction. It’s an ideal high-performance setup, based at altitude in a warm winter climate.

Day-to-Day Structure

Brett draws from his internal library of program frameworks. There are a lot of them! Sometimes that means pulling out sessions from over 20 years ago:

“Can you dig out the Emma Snowsill 2003 Gold Coast plan?”

The actual workouts are rarely locked in far in advance. The assistant coaches receive the specifics of the session, sometimes just the warm-up, shortly before the workout begins. From there, the day unfolds live, coached on deck.

At times, programs are split.

“I’m going to separate the men’s and women’s programs.”

“You’re doubling the workload.”

“Yeah, but it will work better this way.”

Staggered starts allow movement between groups and ensure Brett’s attention reaches the main sets.

Despite the modern environment, familiar influences remain front and centre. There are still plenty of Simon Lessing days and Ron Clarke days, along with a bit of education for the athletes, for whom these names are unfamiliar.

Individualising the Mass Program

It looks like a squad program on the surface, but the individualisation comes quickly once the workouts start.

One example: 6 different ways to complete 50 x 100

Whilst the athletes are locked into their individual workouts, monitoring 25 athletes on the track at once becomes a dynamic and intense 60 minutes for the coaches. Much of it is encouragement and reinforcement. Some need to be slowed down, whilst others are possibly tanking it.

This is where coaching experience really cuts in. Knowing and reading individual personalities. Who needs pressure and who needs encouragement. Who needs patience. And who simply needs to be left alone.

Old School Meets New Tech

Communication outside of workouts happens through WeChat, with all its limitations. No carriage returns, no clean formatting. Everything arrives as a single block of text. Perfectly clear to Brett! The workout details are studied and unpacked by the assistant coaches as the group gathers.

Brett’s methods are grounded in training by feel, which is new for many of the Chinese athletes. Guidelines remain in place for cadence, speeds, and wattage. The process is ongoing, with athletes learning Brett’s way of working while gradually relying less on numbers and more on feel.

Nicknames

Nicknames have always been part of the Trisutto culture. When an athlete identifies strongly with a nickname, it can become an identity, a powerful asset they carry onto the start line. Some athletes have even built personal brands around their nickname.

It’s no different here, and the names emerge naturally.

Mulan. Banana. Flash. Baby. Yum Yum.

And plenty of Littles — Little Tiger. Little Bird. Little Ant.

(It worked pretty well for the Little Pistol in Paris.)

Rickey

Rickey is Brett’s translator. He does a fantastic job. Primarily as a translator, but increasingly as an assistant coach. Coming from a basketball background, he brings the advantage of not having a head full of triathlon habits or assumptions.

He has a strong, authoritative presence on deck, with a natural inclination for the nuances of coaching. Rickey understands the intent behind the sessions and provides terrific support to Brett.

Long-Term Vision

Brett coaches very much in the now, but is constantly planning for the future. Looking ahead, not to 2028, but to 2032. Long-term pathways are laid years in advance. And with that, the Chinese system brings additional challenges.

The average age of Olympic triathletes is 28.

The average age of Olympic medallists is closer to 32.

Yet the majority of Chinese triathletes retire between 23 and 25, well before the typical endurance peak.

Addressing this "retirement gap" is a critical hurdle.

From time to time, management asks:

Is this systematic training? It changes all the time.

As one that has been on deck with Brett through all the successes over the past 15 years, I see it as his secret to higher levels of performance. The commitment to individual evolution is the system.