Testimonials

If you are looking for the complete triathlon coach, you will not find anyone better than Mary Bradbury! Mary has been my coach for the last 8 years where she has coached me through every triathlon distance from sprint to Ironman. I have had several podium finishes in my age group and have also qualified for Nationals at the Olympic distance, all with Mary’s guidance. What I like best about Mary is that she takes the time to get to you know you as a person and understands what your limits are both athletically and personally.   She creates workouts and weekly plans that fit into your lifestyle so that you have one less thing to worry about. After competing in Olympic and half ironman distances for seven years, I decided to try my hand at the Ironman distance. No easy feat with four active kids at home, a full time job and I was one year out from cervical fusion surgery. Mary was able to put together a plan that got me across the finish line injury free and well under the 17 hour mark! She puts together creative workouts and is constantly changing them up based on your feedback. She is constantly communicating with you in order to put together the best training plan for YOU! Mary’s passion for endurance sports is contagious! Mary has helped me achieve more than I ever thought I would in triathlon and I am confident she will do the same for you!

Mary’s ability to see each one of her athletes as an individual is what makes her a great coach.  She realizes that what works for one does not necessarily work for another and she is able to push the right buttons in order to motivate every athlete to do their best.  Not only that but her knowledge of the three disciplines (swim, bike, run), is huge.  I can’t imagine that there is another coach out there that is as knowledgeable, dedicated, and passionate about the sport and her athletes as Mary! – Amy Oliphant

After taking lessons from my 5 year old’s swim teacher, group lessons at the university, and private lessons from a triathlon coach I was still floundering.  I learned of Mary through a friend, and after 4 lessons found significant improvement in my swim technique, efficiency and speed.  Mary was able to give me specific drills and recommendations which helped my swimming dramatically.  Thanks to Mary, I cut 10 minutes off my sprint triathlon time and swim with much greater confidence. – George Pappas

I went to Valley Lo after my lesson, but the skies opened up and I was not able to get in another swim. I am exciting about swimming for the first time ever. I’ve always loved to swim, but I could never swim like I did yesterday after my lesson. Thanks so much for working on my technique. YOU’RE THE BEST!!  I’m now your biggest fan!! Seriously, I can’t wait to swim again.  – Greg A.

A few months ago, I decided to try and complete my first triathlon. My wife has been racing triathlons for a few years and I’ve volunteered at most of the races. This year I decided that I should. Not so much for the triathlon but as a way to regain my confidence swimming. I went out into Lake Washington with my wife and a few friends to give it a try. Within 10 feet of starting, I was caught up in milfoil. I felt tangled and unable to swim. This experience made me question my skills as a swimmer and the possibility of completing the triathlon. I’m a competent kayaker and may have relied to heavy on the PDF as a support crutch. As a present, my wife bought me lessons with Mary Bradbury to become more confident with my swimming skills and help me enjoy the triathlon. My first lesson was in the lake and from the first couple of pointers from Mary, I began to feel comfortable. It was like, if I modify my stroke then the rest of the movement will become easier (and it did). I can still say that I’m nervous about the swim leg, but at least I feel like I’m going to be able to enjoy the triathlon. I also plan on continuing my instructions with Mary. It’s great to have an action followed by a reaction that makes sense and Mary provides that type of instruction. – Todd Friedmar

“Mary’s positive attitude and wealth of knowledge have provided for an effective learning experience.  Her precision in form has given me no end of things to think about when swimming.” – Glenn Dierkes

I have been trying to learn to swim for 40 years. I thought I had tried everything – ‘Y’ classes, private lessons, TI, even a semester in college. Well, I hadn’t tried everything – I hadn’t tried working with Mary Bradbury. I’ve been working with Mary in both the pool and open water and I can’t believe it! I am finally learning to swim! Plus I’m learning from someone who is taking the time to teach me good habits from the start so I won’t develop ‘bad’ or inefficient habits that have to be corrected later on. – Sue Kirt

“Mary is able to break down your stroke and make you more efficient in a fun/supportive environment.  Whoever thought I could have fun, get faster and complete my first triathlon….Thanks Mary!” – Tina Allen

I participated in both group and one-on-one lessons with Mary while training for my first triathlon.  Mary’s instruction helped me dramatically improve my stroke and alleviated much of my fear of the open water.  Mary adjusted her instruction to my specific needs and she was always available to answer my questions.  She even provided me with swim workouts to use while training on my own. – Jay Furtick

I started working with Mary in the Fall of 2009 after just six months as a triathlete. I was very new to the sport with no background in any one of the three disciplines, and had in fact been pretty much idle for the last fifteen years. In my first summer of triathlon, where Mary had coached me at Together we Tri, I took part in three sprint distance triathlons and one olympic distance race, and found that I thoroughly enjoyed the sport. Having been bitten by the bug and wanting to undertake a half ironman distance race in the Spring of 2010 I decided it was time to enlist Mary as a private coach.

From the beginning I found that this was a very interactive process and Mary really took the time to understand what my goals were as a triathlete, in the short, medium and long term to ensure that we were on the same page. Together we identified races that I should (or should not) do and then Mary set about planning the schedule. It was clear that this was a detailed process and that we were working towards a plan. I really enjoy the fact that Mary provides the workouts on a weekly basis, taking into consideration any personal or work requirements you may have that week, but you are able to track where you are in the greater scheme of things. The workouts Mary provides are very detailed and clear to follow, but she is always available to answer any questions and takes care to ensure you properly understand what you need to do, at the same time she is firm in ensuring that you stick to the program.

At the start of my triathlon journey I could barely swim 50 yards in the pool, but through a combination of swim lessons and great swim workouts Mary quickly had me improving to the point where I was comfortable doing the 1.2 mile swim required for the 70.3 mile distance race. Over the course of 2010 I improved significantly across all three disciplines, recording personal bests in my triathlons as well as 5k and 10k road races. During the year I completed two half ironman races, one sprint distance and three olympic distance races including the US Triathlon National Age Group Championships which I qualified for in only my second year of triathlon, which is in no small way down to Mary and the training she provided me over the course of the year. An important factor in all of this was that despite the sudden increase in training and racing intensity from practically a zero base I managed to stay largely injury free, which is a testament to the programs Mary provides and the manner in which she trains me.

Mary is an outstanding athlete in her own right, but she is also a wonderful coach who sincerely cares about her athletes and takes great pride in developing them and sharing in their accomplishments. She has helped me become a far better (tri)athlete than I ever imagined and I know we have only scratched the surface. I look forward to continuing to work with her and would (and already have) recommend her to others. – Mark Morgan

http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-food-snob/2012/07/swim-bike-run-–-feed-kids/