Barrie Shepley said the International Olympic Committee announced in 1994 that triathlon would be added as an event for the 2000 Sydney Games.
He said he had worked in high-performance triathlon for years and had been Canada’s national triathlon coach since 1991.
“So, from ‘94 on, I, you know, never stopped eating, sleeping, breathing and dreaming of going to the Olympics,” Shepley said.
To be considered for the position, he said he had to move to Victoria, away from his wife, Caron Shepley, for a year. He said she financially supported them during this time, and they took significant financial risks and made lifestyle sacrifices for him to work in high-performance sport.
While in Victoria, he said he started a training centre with no budget and relied on families in the community to billet athletes from across the country.
Shepley became Team Canada’s first Olympic triathlon coach for the 2000 Sydney Games and has since been to seven Olympic Games as a commentator.
He said there are usually 55 spots available per race. He said athletes not only need to be the best in their country but also among the 55 best triathletes of their sex in the world.
He said it’s possible that “even though you’re the best in your country and you made the standard, you’re not going.”
After making the games, or sometimes before, he said a bizarre set of events occurs. Shepley said it’s common for parents of athletes to try to secure tickets to their kid’s events and get accommodations before everything sells out, and then they don't make the team.
He said the Olympic Games are time management skills on an unimaginable level. Shepley said rookies get distracted by hosting and trying to get the most out of the Olympic village experience, and it has cost them.
He said his team in the 2000 Sydney Olympics experienced the highs and lows of the Games. Shepley said he had two very different athletes: Simon Whitfield, 25, who was not expected to medal, and Carol Mongomery, 35, who was expected to take the gold.
He said he watched Montgomery flee a press conference he organized for her after a bad practice, and he had to pull Whitfield in front of disappointed reporters to save face.
Shepley said Montgomery never finished her race, breaking her arm during the event, but the next day, Whitfield won gold.
“So, it is beautiful, it is intense, it is not fair,” he said.
Isabelle T. Baird, another athlete who trained with Shepley at the Sydney Games, said she knew she likely wouldn’t medal and wanted to make the most of her experience.
Shepley said she was the only one of his athletes who wanted to attend the opening ceremonies, which usually involved eight hours of standing. He said the women’s triathlon was the first event of the first day. Shepley said he had an air mattress for her set up on the side and they snuck her out early, having her fake illness.
Baird said she dedicated herself to training for the Olympics full-time in 1997 after placing third in the elite division of the Triathlon National Championship hosted in her hometown, Corner Brook, N.L.
She said she trained in two sports a day, biking most days and rotating between swimming, running, interval and strength training. Baird said she was training about 35 hours a week, not including the mental training, stretching, yoga, and massages, and took a day off every seven to 10 days.
She said one of her favourite memories from the games was getting across the finish line, especially since she had recovered from multiple surgeries and the doctor had told her she would never run again.
Baird said one of the most memorable parts of the Olympic village was the cafeteria, which brought everyone staying at the village together.
“It’s quite an experience to be in a place with everybody from around the world, every country is there, and it’s peaceful and respectful and positive,” she said.
