the Ironman u Team
Ironman u leadership
Barb Campbell, MBA
Barb Campbell is the Managing Director of Coaching Excellence. She is an avid triathlete with 23 years of racing experience, including the 2023 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona. Barb spent 29 years in education, serving as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, campus principal, and district leader, retiring in 2022 as the district’s Director of Family and Community Engagement. She holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA and Master's in Educational Entrepreneurship from Rice University.
Casey Taker
Casey Taker is the Global Director, Athlete Development for The IRONMAN Group. She is a passionate endurance athlete, chasing finish lines as an IRONMAN, trail runner, open-water swimmer and most recently taking on gravel and mountain biking. Casey has served 20 years in the sports industry, across many sports, including endurance, NASCAR, NFL, PGA and PRCA events to name a few. She is known most for her commitment to building community and crafting a unique experience for athletes and clients. She holds an undergraduate degree in Agricultural Business Management from North Carolina State University.
Elizabeth James, MA
Elizabeth "EJay" James leads curriculum development for IRONMAN U. She is a professional triathlete, USA Triathlon Level II Long-Course Certified Coach and an IRONMAN U Certified Coach. In 2023, Elizabeth led the TriDot Coach Certification Program, developing and delivering content to coaches. This prior experience, and her professional background in public education curriculum development as a department head, is ideal for developing and collaborating on IRONMAN U Course curriculum and resources. Elizabeth earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Master of Art degree in Education from Concordia University-Nebraska.
IRONMAN U MAster Coaches
IRONMAN U Master Coaches represent the best of IRONMAN U Certified Coaches, attaining the highest level of coaching knowledge and experience with a track record of collaboration and service to the sport. They serve our coaching community as mentors, educators, role models, and ambassadors.
Mark Allen
Mark Allen is the most successful triathlete of all time having won the IRONMAN Triathlon World Championships® 6 times, the Nice International Triathlon 10 times, and the first recognized Olympic Distance Triathlon Championship. He went undefeated in 21 races for an astounding two-year winning streak. He has been inducted into the Halls of Fame for IRONMAN, USA Triathlon, and the International Triathlon Union. ESPN named Mark as "The Greatest Endurance Athlete of All Time." Post retirement Mark has devoted his career to coaching athletes of all levels and to sharing the lessons he learned about preparation, perseverance, and living up to your full potential with teams, companies and organizations worldwide. Mark holds a Biology degree from the University of California - San Diego.
Michellie Jones
Michellie Jones' professional triathlon career spans 30 years and over two decades of coaching experience. She has achieved remarkable milestones, from standing on the Olympic podium as a Silver Medalist in 2000 to claiming the title of IRONMAN World Champion, and twice earning the crown of ITU World Champion. She also guided Paralympic Gold Medalists and ITU Paratri World Champions to victory. In addition to being an IRONMAN U Master Coach, she is USAT Coach and Founder of Giddy Up Multisport Coaching where she coaches athletes from IRONMAN Kona qualifiers to podium performances at ITU World Age Group Championships. Her coaching philosophy is simple, yet profound - triathlon is more than just swim, bike, and run; it's about mastering the nuances and honing skills to perfection. Her motto is "Dream it. Believe it. Live it." Michellie holds an Education degree from the University of Wollongong.
With gratitude and honor, we recognize past IRONMAN U Master Coaches for their foundational contributions to defining Master Coach Excellence. Those include Paula Newby-Fraser, Lance Watson, Dave Scott, Matt Dixon, and Troy Jacobson.
Subject-matter experts
Andy Blow
Andy is Co-Founder and CEO of Precision Fuel and Hydration. He often struggled to compete in hot and humid climates. It was his personal battles with sweat and electrolyte loss that led him to investigate sweat testing for athletes and ultimately set up his company to help others master 'the fourth discipline' of triathlon. He also competed in triathlon at a professional level, representing Great Britain at the Long Course World Championships, the World Duathlon Championships, and finishing in the top 10 at numerous IRONMAN races. Andy was an applied sports scientist for the Benetton F1 team, working with drivers including Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button and Mark Webber. He holds a degree in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of Bath.
B.J. Leeper, DPT, CSCS
Dr. B.J. Leeper specializes in sports performance, comprehensive movement testing, and injury prevention and has worked with numerous professional athletes over his career. He is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Specialist through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. He is also a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength & Conditioning Association and a Certified USA Triathlon Level I Coach. Dr. Leeper graduated from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine with his Doctorate in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science and holds a BA degree in Biology/Chemistry from Simpson College.
Bobby McGee
Bobby McGee is a world-class running coach with over 30 years of experience coaching elite and recreational runners and triathletes. He has coached five Olympic teams and nine Olympic medalists, including an Olympic champion in the marathon. He also served as the US Women's Triathlon Lead at the Rio Olympics, helping them win a gold medal. McGee is known for his ability to help athletes find their optimal running form and improve their performance through proper training plans, biomechanics, and mental skills. He began his coaching career with middle- and long-distance track runners before moving to Boulder, Colorado in 1992 to focus on triathletes.
Jan Sibbersen
Jan Sibbersen began his swimming career with a 10-year stint on the German national swim team from 1990 – 2000. Soon after, he went on to achieve four ‘first out of the water’ titles at the Ironman Hawaii World Championships, including a world-record Ironman swim time at Ironman Germany in Frankfurt. He competed professionally in the global triathlon circuit until 2007 when he founded the company Sailfish, one of the world’s best triathlon swimming brands among both professionals and amateurs. He holds a BA degree in Economics from Harvard University.
Jeff Booher
Jeff Booher is the CEO of Predictive Fitness, developer of TriDot and RunDot. He is a 4-time IRONMAN finisher, certified USA Triathlon Level II Coach, USA Cycling Level III Coach, and USA Track & Field Level I Coach. He's been coaching short-course and long-course triathletes for more than 20 years including more than a dozen professionals, a half dozen national and world champion age-groupers, and one member of the US Olympic B Team. He served in the Military Intelligence Branch of the U.S. Army in the 1990s. After 15 years post-military executive management experience, he founded Predictive Fitness and launched TriDot, named the "Best Technology for Data and Analytics (Sports) - 2024" by the internationally acclaimed Sports Technology Awards Group. He has a BBA in Management of Information Systems from Texas A&M University.
Jose Ramon Callen rodriguez, MS
Jose Ramon "Joserra" Callen has trained athletes of all levels, from professionals who have competed in the Olympic Games to amateurs who want to cross a finish line for the first time, applying to all of them a balanced approach between what the science of sport can contribute to their training plans and what they personally have to invest to achieve their goals. Joserra has been teaching, training, and coaching for more than 20 years, including as a Professor of the National School of Coaches of the Spanish Triathlon Federation. He is also Certified IRONMAN Coach and Certified Bike Fitter. He holds a degree in Nursing from Centro: Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería de Huesca, INSALUD, Universidad de Zaragoza, and a Master's of Science degree from INEFC-Lleida. Universidad de Lleida.
Juliette Strauss, PhD, Rnutr
Dr. Juliette Strauss (RNutr) is a Reader in Exercise Metabolism & Nutrition at Liverpool John Moores University. Juliette has published over 45 peer reviewed scientific papers and her research focuses on understanding sex specific differences in the regulation of substrate metabolism across athletic, healthy, aging and diseased populations. She has particular interest in nutritional strategies to optimize the metabolic response to exercise and training in female athletes to benefit both health and performance. She is also Co-Director and Founder of Total Endurance Nutrition, a globally recognized nutrition coaching and consultancy brand within the triathlon community which seeks to make sports nutrition coaching accessible for the mass triathlon and endurance sport market while maintaining a personalized approach with athletes. Dr. Strauss holds a BSc in Sport and Exercise Sciences from the University of Birmingham, a Master's in Sport and Exercise Nutrition from Loughborough University and a PhD in Exercise Metabolism from the University of Birmingham.
Kurt Madden, Ma
Kurt Madden specializes in coaching development and mental preparation. He is a decorated triathlete, having been ranked #1 in his IRONMAN All-World Athlete age group four times. He has three top 10 finishes at the IRONMAN World Championships, and has been inducted into the Ultraman World Championships Hall of Fame. Kurt has been an educator and mentor for more than 40 years, leading numerous institutions at the senior executive/CEO level. He holds an undergraduate degree from San Diego State University as well as a Master's degree in Physical Education with an emphasis in Exercise Physiology from San Diego State University.
Mike Reilly
Mike Reilly is a member of the IRONMAN Hall of Fame, the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame, and the Running USA Hall of Champions. He is the only person to have been inducted into all three. The most famous voice in the sport of triathlon has had a career spanning over 33 years, 33 IRONMAN World Championship events, and a total of 214 IRONMAN events; during that time, he welcomed over a half- million athletes with his iconic call of ‘You are an IRONMAN!’ He also announced the first ever professional triathlon in Solana Beach, CA and called the first ten years of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. Mike found his passion for endurance sports while training and racing local events in Southern California and has himself completed multiple marathons and triathlons.
Mirinda Carfrae
Mirinda Carfrae, widely known as “Rinny,” competed in her first triathlon at 19. Her IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship title, three IRONMAN World Titles, and seven podium finishes in Kona in the span of a decade mark her as one of the greatest triathletes of all time. Mirinda is a threat at every race she enters, with over 50 wins at major events throughout the world. She grew up in Queensland, Australia, and shortly thereafter, with no prior background in swimming, cycling, or running, made the 2001 Australian Junior Elite Team. Today she is one of the world’s most successful triathletes. Rinny is CEO of Rinny Runs Endurance Sports.
Raya Usher
Raya Usher is an IRONMAN Certified Coach, and the owner of Precision Coaching and Race Team. She has been competing in triathlon (all distances) since 2015, including podium finishes at IRONMAN races and qualifying for and competing in ETU, ITU & Ironman 70.3 World Championships. As a former Canadian International Alpine ski racer, Raya understands the intensity, pressures and physiological demands that are placed on athletes. Following a long break from sport due to injury, Raya went into business, owning her own consulting firm focused on emerging market finance before selling the firm to focus full-tme on triathlons. She holds a Business Management degree from King's College London.
Sam Shepherd, PHD, rnutr
Dr. Sam Shepherd is a Reader in Exercise Metabolism & Nutrition at Liverpool John Moores University. As a Performance Nutritionist, he works with age-group and elite cyclists and triathletes in the UK, Europe, and Middle East to maximize their performance. His expertise is exercise metabolism, with a focus on mechanisms which underpin fat and carbohydrate metabolism and how these can be manipulated using nutrition to improve performance in endurance athletes and sedentary individuals at risk of developing metabolic disease. Dr. Shepherd is a Founder and Co-Director of Total Endurance Nutrition. He holds a BS in Sport and Exercise Sciences from the University of Birmingham, a MS in Human Nutrition and Metabolism from the University of Aberdeen, and a PhD in Exercise Metabolism from the University of Birmingham.
Tim O'Donnell, MEng
Tim "TO" O’Donnell is one of the world’s most successful and experienced American long-course triathletes. As a professional, he earned 50+ podium finishes including over 22 wins at major events throughout the world. Along with the ITU Long Distance World Champion (2009) title, he won nine IRONMAN 70.3 victories, two IRONMAN wins, and six Armed Forces National Championships. He was IRONMAN 70.3 US Pro Champion in 2012 and the IRONMAN US Pro Champion in 2011. Tim attended the United States Naval Academy graduating with a degree in Naval Architecture. There he swam on the varsity team for two seasons before fully committing to the sport of triathlon. As a triathlete, O’Donnell led the Naval Academy men’s team to two US National Triathlon Championship titles. He also has a Master's in Ocean Engineering from UC Berkeley University.
Tj tollakson
TJ Tollakson is the owner of OG Dimond Bikes and the accomplished CEO of Ruster Sports. Tollakson began racing in 2001 and proved himself a force to be reckoned with on the bike course. He became faster with the first rendition of the Dimond bike in 2013. Now retired, TJ achieved 10 IRONMAN podium finishes, with his favorite being his Mont Tremblant victory. After a bumpy road filled with surgeries and numerous setbacks, TJ used this race to prove he was at his prime and leading the pack. TJ is a proud husband and father to three children. You can find him pounding the pavement of Des Moines, Iowa or tinkering with his newest idea at the Dimond Bikes headquarters. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Science and Industrial Engineering from the University of Iowa.
Will Usher
Will Usher is an IRONMAN Certified and BTF Coach. He is the Head Coach and Founder of Precision Race Team. As an ex-British Army officer and experienced project manager, Will has a strong work ethic and extensive experience leading small and large teams to achieve multiple targets. He has expertise in staff development and training, process and systems development, operations, and a strong passion for bringing people together across industry and sport. Will has coached triathlon for over 25 years, guiding over 250 athletes to Great Britain Age Group success with numerous Top 10 finishes, podiums, and champions. His triathlon team is largely made up of the top 1-5% Age Group athletes, and has included over 100 Great Britain Age Group international athletes, and World and European medalists at any one time. In addition to able-bodied coaching, Will also has a particular passion for ParaTri. He has coached athletes from injury to the elite pathway as well as athletes already established within the performance program striving for the Paralympics. Most recently he has been working with Comic Relief to help coach Billy Monger on his challenge to break the IRONMAN World Championships record for a double amputee. Over the last two decades, Will has also coached and supplied expert knowledge to organizations, brands and publications such as Comic Relief, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Cancer Research UK, HUUB, Speedo, Gordon Ramsay, The Times, The Telegraph, The Mail on Sunday, ITV’s Good Morning Britain, 220 Triathlon, as well as numerous online publications. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Nottingham.