OUR MISSION
All are welcome – we are for athletes of all level and ages, from beginners to elites. Everyone with a passion for swimming, cycling and running are included in our STS family.
Your best is yet to come – we strive for personal excellence, where each person sets their own targets and we club together to help athletes become the best they can be, whether it’s completing a first Triathlon or winning World Champs.
Giving it our all – we’re as dedicated as those who train with us, because we love what we do and help people do what they love. We are committed to always doing better.
Working together – even individually competitive sports are greatly enhanced by camaraderie and teamwork. As a squad of like-minded athletes; we’re always motivating, supporting and inspiring each other.
OUR TEAM
VICKY VAN DER MERWE
Founder and Head Coach
“I am super passionate about Triathlon. I love seeing athletes push their limits, exceed their expectations and become the best they can be… All while realising that exercise is fun.”
Vicky started Triathlon at age 15 while at Bloemhof Girls’ School in Stellenbosch. Under the guidance of Libby Burrel (who is still her mentor) she moved to Australia after school to train under Olympic coach Stephen Moss. Since then she has raced in over 40 countries, competed in the International Triathlon Circuit and trained under various Olympic Coaches while also completing her LLB Law degree.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- 2016 Rio Olympic Triathlon Squad
- SA Team for Rio Olympic Test event in 2015
- Multiple South African and African Junior Triathlon Champ
- 3 x Biathle World Champ; and Provincial colors in 9 different sports.
- Olympian (Paris Olympic Games 2024)
- SA elite Sprint Triathlon Champ
- SA elite Triathlon Champ
- African elite Sprint Triathlon Champ
- African elite Triathlon Champ
- SA off-road Triathlon Champ
OTHER RESULTS INCLUDE:
Knysna Halfmarathon, 1st
African X Trail run, 1st ladies team
Knysna Big 5 Challenge, 1st (multiple winner)
Caveman Triathlon, 1st
WalkerBay Xtreme Big6, 1st (multiple winner)
Torpedo SwimRun, 1st and current record holder
Xterra Reunion, 2nd
COBUS FOURIE
Assistant Coach & Head of Personal Programs
“One of my greatest joys is to see people get healthier, to help them exceed their expectations and actualise their goals. All while realising that exercise is fun”
Cobus is a Certified Ironman Coach, and has over 10 years of coaching experience. He is the Assistant Coach and manages our online training programs.
He has represented South Africa at three World Age Group Champs, with a best result of 16th. He has completed two Full Ironman events with a PB of 10:55 and three Half Ironmans with a PB of 4:55.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- Completed Comrades Marathon twice
- Two Oceans Marathon twice
- Over 80 10km running races with a PB of 34min
- 150 Half Marathons with a PB of 1:16 and 40 Full Marathons with a PB of 2:54
- Cycling Highlights include: 15 Cape Town Cycle Tours with a PB of 2:49 and 8 Double Century’s with a best result of 3rd.
COLIN FLEMING
High Performance Head Coach
With a background in exercise physiology, with a master’s degree in Sport Science, Colin heads up our high-performance group. With his own high-performance triathlon background, combined with his theoretical knowledge of sports science, Colin is committed to nurturing and developing talented athletes who are trying to make it to the highest level in our sport!
THOMAS KLOPSTRA
Assistant coach and Open Water Specialist
Thomas is the newest member of the coaching staff. Thomas is a talented sportsman and an especially talented swimmer which allowed him to study under bursary at Kingswood College in the Eastern Cape where he represented his province in 4 different sporting codes.
Thomas has since studied a Diploma in Sport and exercise and is applying his knowledge in our online program design, group sessions and swim coaching.
Thomas is a regular on Podiums at open water swim races with mutiple race wins as well as the second fastest mens wetsuit time recorded over robben island crossing. Thomas recently competed in his first triathlon and managed to podium in his first attempt at The distance.
Thomas’s ability to apply knowledge has allowed him to make rapid increases in his run and bike and will soon be a contender in Triathlon.