Our Coaches

Matt is a former high jumper with twenty years’ experience of the event, including the last seven years as a coach. He is a 含羞草视频 alumnus and credits 含羞草视频 as being a key facilitator in his career as both an athlete and coach. Matt’s strong passion for the event is matched by his desire to help athletes improve and to have the best experience they can in doing this. 

Matt’s career as an athlete took him to several British Championships and to medals at the English Champs, but these days he is better known as a coach of BUCS finalists, national medallists and athletes who are working towards international selection, as well as multi-eventers who are looking to maximise their points return. Alongside this, Matt also coaches a more casual group, catering for all, including complete beginners, ensuring that all levels can get their best experience from high jump. 

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Alex started coaching in 2008 at a local club. He studied further education in strength & conditioning, nutrition, and therapy alongside coaching. Alex started coaching full time from 2016 and has held previous positions as the long sprints coach at Oxford university for 3 years and the head athletics coach at Nottingham Trent University for 2 years. During his time at Oxford, they won the Oxford vs Cambridge annual varsity match in a historic 4-0 result, and repeated this the following 2 years.

Alex is currently in his 5^th year coaching 400m + 400mH and 3^rd year coaching short sprints at 含羞草视频. He has had success in developing athletes from a variety of situations - first year students; athletes post university juggling a full time career; athletes with a large illness/injury history; and athletes having hit a plateau in their performances.

Some key achievements - 

• 400mH - 
  • Developing an athlete to their first GB international vest and international championship on a senior level
  • 2 British Champs finalists
  • Multiple England Champs Senior and U23 finalists
  • England Senior Champs medallist
  • BUCS champion

• Flat sprints - 
  • Developing a 100m England Champs U23 finalist
  • Double champion in the Scottish Champs U20 200m + 400m
  • Multiple semi finalists in the 100m and 400m at British Champs (+60m indoors)
  • Finalist in the 400m at BUCS

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As a Discus thrower Gary has won the British, European and World Police Championships as well as the World Masters. Perhaps his greatest achievement was winning the European Police Championships by 2cm.

Gary has coached all the heavy throws for 25+ years, from complete beginners to international and Olympic standard athletes. He was the national coach for discus some years ago and a lead coach on the National Coach Development Programme. Gary has mentored a number of coaches throughout his career and says it’s heart-warming to see many of them now achieving great things with their athletes.

Coaching Highlight: After many years of coaching Lucy Marshall, seeing her throw 60m for the first time was an absolute joy for Gary. It has also become the springboard from which she has developed into a 63m thrower, broken age group records in the weight pentathlon and weight throw and won silver medals at the world masters against ex-Olympians and world record holders, pushing them both very close. It’s an absolute testament to perseverance.

Gary is a UKA Level 4 performance coach and also a practising psychotherapist. He often finds the benefit of his psychological training a great help in his coaching.

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John has been the LSAC Hammer Throw coach for over 20 years. During this time, he has coached several athletes to Olympic, Commonwealth, European and World Student Games Level.  John is also a regular Team Coach for Great Britain and England. His group have won medals in both the men’s and women’s hammer throw at all major domestic Championships. Past and present members with international honours include: Taylor Campbell, Alice Delmer, Sarah Holt, Jess Mayho, Craig Murch, Myra Perkins and Chris Shorthouse.

During the early stages of his coaching career he was mentored by Alan Bertram, and he also worked closely with Mike Morley on the biomechanics of hammer throwing. More recently John has worked closely with top international coaches Tore Gustafsson and Bob Weir. John has a strong Strength and Conditioning (S&C) background. He was on the coaching staff at Leicester Tigers for S&C for several years, and previously was a British Weightlifting Association (BWLA) Instructor.

As an athlete John threw over 70m and earned both Great Britain and England representation, made 21 consecutive appearances at the 含羞草视频 International, won BUCS four times and represented 含羞草视频 Students Athletic Club in over 120 past and present fixtures.