New Technical Leader takes helm of Canadian-made structure to shape program from grassroots up
VICTORIA— Triathlon Canada welcomes Dan Proulx back to the community as High Performance Director to guide the organization’s high-performance program towards LA 2028 and beyond.
The Calgary-based Proulx returns to the Triathlon Canada Nation after a lengthy 16-year stint coaching within Cycling Canada’s national program, including the last three as head coach.
Early in his coaching career, Proulx was an accomplished coach and leader in triathlon. He was the head coach of the University of Calgary Triathlon Club and the Triathletics Sports Club for several years – the latter being one of the first junior focused triathlon training programs in the country. Proulx also worked with Triathlon Canada as a junior coach at the 1995 World Championships and led several junior national development camps for the organization. In 1994, he was one of two coaches selected to represent Canada at the first international triathlon coaching symposium in Paris.
“Many have already reached out and have said ‘Welcome home,’” laughed Proulx, who also served a brief stint as a cycling coach and consultant at Triathlon Canada’s National Performance Centre in the early 2000s. “I’ve always had a strong connection to the sport. Even as a cycling coach, I always followed what has been happening in triathlon, so I’ve always maintained a connection to the sport. To me, the organization is trending in the right direction with a very strong pool of athletes across the country. The leadership Phil (Dunne) has put into place raised the bar, and I’m looking forward to building on that momentum.”
Proulx brings more than three decades of sport leadership working in high-pressured sporting environments to his first high-performance director role. As head coach of Cycling Canada’s national squad, he was responsible for providing the technical leadership required for guiding and supporting athletes and coaches across all sport disciplines in the organization’s high-performance program where he was a head coach and team leader at five major Games including Paris 2024.
‘’I think having a coach that has produced an Olympic medal and World Championship title in the past in this role gives you that grounded approach to high performance – I have lived that life and know what it takes. Having that experience as a high-performance director is invaluable because you know what the athletes and coaches are going through, and it helps you to be a better mentor and empower them to do their best work and potentially avoid some of the mistakes maybe I learned in my development.”
Renowned for being a people-centred leader, Canada’s mountain bike program achieved significant success under his guidance. He coached Catherine Pendrel to a bronze medal in mountain bike at the 2016 Rio Olympics and to World Championship titles in 2014 and 2011.
“I truly believe our job as a high-performance team is to not only produce high-performance athletes who can compete on the world stage, but more importantly, is that we build great people who go on to be positive ambassadors for sport and hopefully go on to be athletes for life,” added Proulx, who began his career as a swim coach in Calgary, and raced provincially, nationally as a junior before competing in World Long Distance Championships and 10 Ironman events.
The new technical leader will focus his short-term priorities on developing healthy relationships across Canada’s triathlon community with the ultimate goal of building alignment on three core goals: ensure the high-level operation of Canada’s medal-winning Para-triathlon program; support athletes and coaches to realize their potential in a promising men’s program; and build depth in the women’s program.
“I have always said that triathlon can happen anywhere. There are so many strong programs across Canada right now, but it is important that we are working with coaches at all levels throughout Canada so that everyone feels a part of this plan, and is working towards those same goals,” he said.
Triathlon Canada has refreshed the structure of its high-performance team to build more capacity in providing support to athletes and coaches as they progress through the high performance pathway.
Marc-Antoine Christin will transition from head coach of the National Performance Centre to Olympic Pathway Lead while Lisa Mensink will take on the role of Paralympic Pathway Lead where she will continue to hold the coaching reigns of Canada’s elite para-triathletes. Christin, who will be head coach of the national mixed relay team, will provide sport technical support to national team athletes, coaches and development groups across Canada with the objective of preparing athletes for the transition from competing in domestic competition to international race environments such as the Olympic Games. Both Christin and Mensink will also be responsible for leading Triathlon Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic Integrated Support Teams (IST).
Triathlon Canada also announced that Ally Govier officially joined the team this week as the national sport organization’s new High Performance Operations Manager.
Govier arrives to the sport of triathlon from Wheelchair Rugby Canada and the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario where she took on a variety of responsibilities including: high performance manager, manager of health and wellness and National Team athletic therapist. Govier brings extensive education and experience in athletic therapy, medical management, team logistics and event management in Canada’s high-performance system.
She will be responsible for helping to foster a positive high-performance environment, while enhancing team dynamics, streamlining operations, and contributing to building a supportive, welcoming culture of excellence.
“This is a highly-motivated group of professionals who knows what it takes to both build a healthy culture, and to win,” said Phil Dunne, chief executive officer, Triathlon Canada.. “Each of them have been through the peaks and valleys of a high-performance program in Canada, bringing extensive experience in endurance sport and people development. They understand the patience and time investment required to build a healthy, supportive medal-winning program from the grassroots to elite level. I know they will all contribute to building on the positive growth and momentum our Olympic and Paralympic programs have established from Paris 2024 while leading the program towards LA 2028 and beyond.”
While Ally Govier officially began her new position this week, Marc Antoine Christin and Lisa Mensink will transition into their new responsibilities throughout the offseason. Dan Proulx will officially begin his role on January 20.
Triathlon Canada will hire a Paralympic pathway coach prior to the start of the season.
Triathlon Canada is the governing body of the sport in the country. Triathlon Canada’s more than 22,000members include athletes, coaches and officials from the grassroots to elite levels. With the support of its valued corporate partners – 94 FORWARD, Training Peaks, Subaru Canada, Z3R0D, Aquaman, Tribe Solutions, Champion System Canada, BOCO Gear Canada, ZiZU Optics, Outway Performance Socks, SCICON, SportShare, WestJet and FulGaz – along with the City of Victoria, Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, and Own the Podium, Triathlon Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic and World Champions in all race disciplines. For more information on Triathlon Canada, please visit us at www.triathloncanada.com.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Chris Dornan
Triathlon Canada
T: 403-620-8731
E-mail: chris.dornan@triathloncanada.com