Get Together > Graduations > Class of 2015 Alumni Achiever of the Year Award

Alumni Achiever of the Year 2015 – Jonathon Riall

Jonathon Riall

Within ten years of graduating with a Sports and Exercise Development degree from Sunderland, Jonathon Riall has risen to the top of his profession after being named Team GB’s head coach for its first ever Paratriathlon team to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Now another momentous honour has been bestowed upon Jonathan after he was named the University of Sunderland Alumni Achiever of the Year. The prestigious competition runs annually with alumni and staff members nominating a graduate who has excelled in their field of expertise.

One of those who nominated Jonathon was Dr Ian Whyte, Principal Lecturer in the Department of Sports and Exercise Sciences.

He said: “Jonathan has been a superb ambassador for the University and for the North East where he was brought up. His work with British triathlon has not only seen progressive developments to that sport but in particular has led to fundamental changes in the way people with disabilities can now access triathlon through the Para-tri movement.

“While being located in the UK, his work has taken him to many countries and Jonathan has garnered respect from athletes and administrators alike throughout the world. The Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences is very proud that Jonathan has been recognised for his achievements over a long period of time by being named the Alumni Achiever of the Year.”

Jonathon, based in Loughborough, joined the British Triathlon Federation (BTF) in 2005 soon after graduating, as the Participation Administrator, looking after clubs, members, events and age groups, before progressing to being the East Midlands Development Manager. He also had the role of East Midlands Academy Head Coach. 

In October 2009 he took over the role of Paratriathlon Programme manager, progressing onto the Paratriathlon Performance Manager and subsequently Head Coach of the Paratriathlon team, working directly with the Performance Director, Brendan Purcell.

Jonathon, a father-of-two daughters, said he was delighted to be named Alumni of the Year, which reaffirmed his decision to make Sunderland his first choice to study a degree in his home town.

“I am absolutely honoured to be recognised for this award, especially considering how many students will have journeyed through the University in the time I've departed.

“My time at the University helped to clarify a lot of things for me; my strengths and my weaknesses but most importantly the areas which were my passion, and ultimately how I needed to commit my energy to my passion moving forward.

“The University supported me greatly throughout my time there, and I can't thank them enough for the part they played in helping me to embrace elite sport and how they helped me to see how you can create structures to develop talent.

“I'm proud of my time at the University of Sunderland and I am pleased I have been able to take what I learned there and put it to use in such an exciting way.”

Jonathon continued: “If I studied at Loughborough University I would have been a small fish in a really big pond, but the University of Sunderland spotted my talent and gave me the support I needed.

“My degree really helped me in my career. Part of the course was physiologically based, but there was a very strong management and development element. I was also on an elite athletes programme for triathlon, which covered travel and expenses and that helped me further my athletic career and my overall experience.  When I finished my degree I applied for an administrator’s role at BFT, and after eight months applied for a regional manager’s role.

“The Paratriathlon role wasn’t a pure performance role, it was at least 50 per cent development, and I’d done enough outside of my day job, and enough during my time at University to land that role.

 “I’d been able to get strong foundations at university. I was club captain of my local triathlon club and an active member of the University swimming club, and I think a good understanding of how clubs work, not just as an athlete but from a management point of view, was critical for me.

“Had I been interested in cycling or swimming, two sports which are way more established than triathlon, I was certainly never have gotten the opportunity I did age 25. It was a new sport which was developing, and my career kind of developed with it.”

Talking about his role as Head Coach  for the Great Britain Paratriathlon Team,  the 31-year-old said:   “As Performance Manager I have an umbrella role. We have a programme in total of about 28 athletes, with seven of those based full-time at our Performance Centre, and the rest are either ‘Talent’ athletes we’re working with, or are on the Performance Programme, but due to their disability are home based. 

“It’s my responsibility to manage what goes on in Loughborough, but I also work really closely with the coaches of those ‘remote’ athletes. I keep a check on the system that they have set up in their home environment so that if ultimately there’s anything that they need they can access it for me.”

Rio 2016 is the first time that Paratriathlon will be staged.

 “I started this job in October 2009, and at the time we were hoping Paralympics would get into the Games, but we were competing against seven other sports,” added Jonathon. “In December 2010 we got the news that the IPC had selected triathlon and canoeing as the two new Paralympic disciplines.  We weren’t ready for London 2012. As amazing as it would have been to be involved in a home Games the sport itself wasn’t mature enough, or the standard of athletes high enough."

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