The 10 Most Influential People In SA Running
Some are winners, some make winners… but all have had a profound effect on the state of SA running in 2016.
2. The Coach – Lindsey Parry, Comrades and Triathlon South Africa Coach, 39
When I first met Lindsey Parry in 2006, he was working as a biokineticist at the Sports Science Institute in Cape Town. A passionate runner and the son of a Comrades medallist, Parry has ticked off memorable performances of his own, including a sub-3-hour marathon, a silver Comrades, and some impressive triathlon results.
In 2004, that passion landed him a job as official coach of the Comrades Marathon, taking over from the legendary Don Oliver. At first the young coach’s appointment was met with criticism, as the old guard were sceptical of his training methods – big mileage was replaced with more recovery, and focused sessions.
But 12 years down the line, Parry has established himself firmly as a coach with a dedicated following – including not only the best of the best, but also the many thousands of ordinary runners who train for the Comrades and other events each year.
Parry, who already has 10 Comrades finishes to his name, is arguably the most successful running coach in South African history. He helped turn Comrades and Two Oceans star Caroline Wöstmann from an ‘also-ran’ into a champion – a fact she readily admits.
“Lindsey has helped me transform my running career,” she says. “He gave me structure.”
Parry is also coach to current Comrades champion Charné Bosman, who – despite years at the top level of running – turned to Parry to help her succeed at Comrades.
As if Parry’s achievements in running were not enough, he is also the national coach of Triathlon South Africa (TSA), and was part of the team that celebrated Henri Schoeman’s bronze medal and Richard Murray’s fourth place at the Rio Olympics.
But perhaps the best assessment of Parry’s skills comes from radio presenter Brad Brown, who transformed himself from weighing 165kg to being an ultra-marathon runner and Ironman finisher: “There are few coaches who can train both world champions and the average back-of-the-packer. Lindsey Parry is one of them.”
READ MORE ON: cape-town-marathon Caroline Wöstmann inspiring people motivation wayde van niekerk
