THE turbulent life of a sports-person is one that ebbs and flows, through peaks and valleys. What most grasp over time, is that peaks appear fleeting, while valleys feel endless.
The insatiable human desire for more. A shared belief that contentment is a state of stagnation. There is a strong argument for the fact that the best at what they do can never be satisfied. However, a by-product of an elite mentality can be a draining journey of non-fulfilment.
Ollie Turner is all too familiar with the tempestuous trek of professional sport. The Islander contemplated his future in professional triathlon, following a “soul destroying” 2021 campaign.
Despite his trials and tribulations, Turner got back on the horse, so to speak, setting out on a remarkable road to redemption. He bounced back in 2022, highlighted by a 15th-placed finish at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, eclipsing his finish in the Gold Coast four years prior by 11 spots. The Caesarean carried that momentum into this season with a remarkable opening half of the campaign.
Ahead of the 2022 Birmingham Games, Turner was stranded outside the world’s top 500; fast-forward a year and he was up to 162. His career high was attained following a top-10 finish at a 2023 Europe Triathlon Cup event in Rzeszów, Poland. Prior to that, he enjoyed a fruitful trip to Africa, with solid finishes in both South Africa and Namibia to pierce the world’s top 200. However, the season faltered soon after and, in the wake of an Island Games silver in Guernsey, Turner knew he was running on empty.
Reflecting on his year, the triathlete said: “It’s been a funny old season. I set some goals that I wanted to achieve throughout 2023 and exceeded them within the first six months. Then you are kind of left wondering where to go. I sat down, reassessed my goals and set some new targets and pushed on. When things are going well in triathlon, you lean into it more. It’s easy to get carried away at times.”
What is perhaps counter-intuitive in Turner’s line of work, is that the more you compete, the more the effort in training regresses.
He added: “The more you race, the more you take from the bike. At some point, you have to put back into it. When you’re racing, you almost feel the polar opposite of fatigue. Training is limited as you are tapering and freshening up for each race. The issue becomes the risk of over racing. With a lack of training, progress can quickly fall into decline. It is a delicate balance, and one I didn’t get right this year.”
Such was the Islander’s success early in the campaign, the hunger grew to strike while the iron was hot and continue to race. By mid-July, he has completed the same amount of races that he normally would through the entire year.
“I ended up racing constantly because I was doing so well. I knew I had over raced, but I had no idea to what extent. It was only sitting down recently to analyse the season that it became clear what had happened. The campaign started so strong and I managed to hold some real momentum, but around the Island Games, I started to fall off a bit of a cliff. I spent too many pennies on racing and not enough on training. I had aspirations to get over to Asia at the end of the year to do some World Cups, but I just fell short of qualification. I quite simply wasn’t good enough and wasn’t fit enough to be out there.”
Instead, the Cardiff graduate decided to turn his attentions back to Europe and a pair of races in Turkey to conclude the year. Having five weeks to prepare was just the tonic, or so Turner thought.
He continued: “I was pretty down about my middle part of the season and really wanted to finish strong. Given the fact I had five weeks to prepare, I thought I had a real chance of doing well. I threw the kitchen sink at it through training. Really went all in on these last two races and ended up losing a lot of weight for the first time ever really. My focus was fully on the races and I didn’t really see the impact it was having on my physically. I was as light as I’ve been since I was a teenager. More prone to sickness and that cost me. I developed a head cold the day before the opening race and was only able to compete at 75%.That’s all I had in the tank. It was devastating after all the effort I put in during the build up.”
An athlete’s adventure is fraught with lessons and growth. But, what might have rocked the Turner of old, just helped refocus the Turner of new.
He pragmatically added: “Unfortunately, that is the nature of sport and at times there are elements outside your control. It’s hard to stomach at times. Learning to deal with the lows is the hardest thing. When things are good, you are on top of the world, but usually those periods are very short-lived and it becomes a case of dealing with the times you are down in the dumps.”
The now 25-year-old is already thinking of changes for next year. Rather than dwelling on the shortfalls in the latter half of the season, Turner is taking a ‘glass half full’ approach into 2024.
“Being back in Jersey, I have had some time to reflect and think about my future more and the direction I want to go in the sport,” he added. “I am excited about 2024 and certainly feel like a more complete triathlete. I am moving the the right direction over the last couple of years and it’s now about finding ways to continue my development.
“My biggest takeaway is that I’ve seen what I’m capable of. During the beginning of the year I strung some great performances together and they are what I will hold onto. I have proved to myself that I am capable and will set my focus on making the necessary adjustments for next year to improve and avoid any burn-out.”
Now ranked 197th in the world, Turner sets his sights on surpassing his career best of 162 obtained in June.
