There is a busy six weeks ahead for Anne Coleman as she gears up for the ninth Tritobeat cancer triathlon which will take place
this year at Belvedere on July 4. The charity which was founded by Ann Burns, who sadly has since passed away and didn’t get to see the 2004 triathlon at Lilliput, which had chosen as the new venue for the meet. In all the Tritobeat Cancer committee which is made up of “five gorgeous men” plus Anne Coleman has helped to raise &euro1.2 million for St Vincent’s hospital in Dublin since the event began. The “five gorgeous men” that Anne speaks of are John O’ Reilly, who is the race director, Pat Nugent, Joe Holton, Pat McDermott and Brian Boyle who was a “find” from the Midlands Triathlon Club. The six have ensured that the triathlon has gone from strength to strength and are currently making the final preparations for this year’s events. “I suppose there is one thing that we should point out and that is Midlands Triathlon is an integral part of the Tritobeatcancer race. Brian Boyle’s work at the club has moved it along tremendously and it now has over 120 members and is really thriving. Of course the triathlon gets support from all over the country but in particular the Midlands club stands out as a bedrock of support.” When Anne isn’t organising events for the charity she has a full-time job working as a training officer with the marriage guidance service Accord and is based in Maynooth. Born and bred in Mullingar, and having always worked there, she was reluctant to move on to Maynooth and says that she fell into her new role by “accident”.
“I had been working for a printing company in Mullingar for 12 years and had already decided that it was time to move on but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I was invited to the interview with Accord and I only went because I had lots of time on my hands because I was off work with a broken arm. When I went into the campus at NUI I fell in love with it. It’s such a beautiful place to work all year round and as it turned out I was delighted to have been offered the job despite the 40 minute drive to work.”