Featured Coach- Martha Handford

Some of the top off-road athletes in Atlanta have a secret that lies deep in the Canadian Rockies. Her name is Martha Handford, and she is one of the best coaches in the US-- that does not live in the US. Her athletes improve dramatically and often dominate the podium, and in her relatively short coaching career she has produced some amazing results.

Martha is no stranger to the podium herself, having 10+ years of elite- and masters-level race experience in mountain biking and cyclo cross. She has competed at World Cup, NORBA, and Canada Cup MTB events, as well as racing in nine, 24-hour solo races (four of these on her single speed), the TransRockies Challenge, the Cascade Cream Puff,the Test of Metal (singlespeed), and the BC Bike Race. In cyclo cross, Martha has raced at US Gran Prix events, UCI races, and several US and Canadian National Championships; she has an Oregon State Cyclo Cross Championship title and three Canadian National Cyclo Cross Championship medals to her credit. Martha's athletes have had podium results and personal bestsat the TransRockies Challenge,The TransRockies3 solo event, the BC Bike Race, La Ruta de los Conquistadores, Park City Point2Point, Off-Road Assault on Mt. Mitchell, US National Cyclocross Championships, Banff Road Stage Race, Xterra regional and state events, and various regional MTB, road,and cyclocross races.

Martha is married, with a 2-year old daughter and works full-time for a non-profit organization that helps disadvantaged children, youth and families, as Manager of Wilderness and Outdoor Recreation Programming. Martha spent a significant part of her career working in the private sector for a global oil and gas automation company before moving into the non-profit world. She has a Master's degree in Environmental Sociology and did her undergraduate degree in Social Behavior. She resides in a small mountain town (Canmore, Alberta) in the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. An outdoor junkie, she spends her free time mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, camping and hiking with family and friends.

How did you get into coaching and why do you enjoy it?

Martha- “I got into coaching after working with Matt Russ as an athlete. I have a strong technology and communicationsbackground, so I was really excited about the web-based coaching tools and the remote coaching concept. I have always been involved in teaching and leadership training in my professional and academic careers, so I decided to start working through my coaching certifications when I returned to Canada (I lived in Portland, OR for about 4 years and connected with Matt and The Sport Factory during this time). Matt Russ encouraged me to give it a try and I've been doing it ever since! I enjoy coaching because I like helping my athletes reach their potential. I do my best to work with them within the parameters of their professional and personal commitments and guide them on setting lofty, but attainable, performance goals. My athletes teach me a great deal also - they ask really interesting questions - which keeps me challenged and engaged in the coaching process.”

How does the Canadian coaching education system differ from the US?

Martha—“The Canadian system requires theory, technical and practical components to each certification level. It generally takes 1-2 years for coaches to meet the requirements of each component at each level, with the national and olympic/international level coaches requiring several years to complete their certifications. In the past year or so, the Canadian coaching system is being re-formulated to a competency-based system with different coaching streams (in cycling), such as "community based" and "competitive" streams. An ethical component has also been added. Another interesting fact is that the coaching system in Canada is consistent across all organized sports in the country - so certification levels and requirements are essentiallythe same for all sports (with the exception of the technical, sport-specific content).”

What are the skill sets you deem necessary to be a successful coach?

Martha—“A successful coach needs to be organized, a good communicator, adaptable, patient and knowledgeable. A sense of humor also helps. ;-)”

How do you overcome some of the challenges of remote coaching?

Martha—“Hmmm, I can't really think of any big challenges! Being responsive to email questions and communicating regularly is key for many of my athletes. I also make connections and do research on the best local organizations that can provide skills-based development for my athletes across North America. I have organized training camps for groups of my athletes doing similar races so we can actually ride together - I have probably connected in person with 75% of my remote athletes through training camps, mutual race events and by supporting them at races.”