Coaches
Liz Elliott
Liz brings years of competition, teaching and coaching experience to TVTC. Liz swam competitively through college, where she earned all-American honors in freestyle, the Coaches Award, and was Captain of her team. She began competing in triathlons in 2003, and has completed every distance of triathlon, including Ironman Canada in 2007. Liz has taught and coached swimming for 19 years, including high school, seasonal, and year-round teams. At one point, she led a year-round swim team of over 350 swimmers at five pools, and coached an elite group of age group swimmers. She founded the Happy Fish Swim School in 1999, which now has indoor, year round locations in Fremont and Livermore. She leads a management team of six, writes the curriculum, oversees the hiring, training and managing of staff, and directs the company vision.
Liz is a USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, and has coached both group and individuals in triathlon since 2004. She spent 13 seasons with the Team in Training triathlon and run teams as a participant, mentor, captain and coach. Five of those seasons she spent coaching the Silicon Valley teams and another three coaching the East Bay teams. She has coached individuals of all skill levels to successfully complete Olympic, 1/2 and full Ironmans. Liz's strengths lie in breaking down each skill into digestible pieces for athletes, and leading group workouts. Her technical coaching skills lie in swimming and running at all levels while she continues to expand her personal and coaching abilities in cycling.
Liz graduated with honors from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology with emphasis in Exercise Physiology and the Social Aspects of Sport, and earned a Masters degree from the University of San Francisco in Sport Management. She also holds a teaching credential, and taught seventh grade English and history, and ninth grade PE.
Lael Heinig
Lael is an athlete, competitor, and leader. Lael played competitive soccer year-round and attended camps taught by professional European players for 12 years. In college, his passion changed as hockey consumed all of his time. He started playing roller hockey and then quickly moved to ice hockey. Lael attended several top level hockey camps which led to him coaching a women's hockey team for 2 years. In 2003, his passion changed again when he joined Team in Training (TNT) and ran his first marathon. Since 2004, he has completed many more running races, including 10 marathons and 15 half marathons. In 2005, he joined the TNT triathlon team and has completed five half ironman and several Olympic distance races. He actively participated eight seasons with Team in Training, six of those as a mentor or captain helping others new to the sport of triathlon complete their first triathlon.
Lael is a certified USA Triathlon Level 1 and USA Cycling Level 3 Coach and has been coaching triathletes for 2 years. His strengths lie in endurance running and cycling, and he has a passion for the science behind training and racing.
Lael graduated with honors from UC Davis with a BS and MS in Computer Science, and he was a teaching assistant for several undergraduate courses.
Aubrey Nolan
Aubrey wants to help TVTC members accomplish tasks never thought possible. She has five years experience teaching both casual and competitive swimmers of all ages, and is a USA Triathlon level 1 certified coach. She is also in the process of completing her USA Cycling coaching certification. She has coached triathlon for two years, and participated in two seasons of the Team in Training triathlon team helping new endurance athletes reach their goals.
Aubrey hopes to share a supportive team atmosphere where all levels of experience and skill are welcome, and each individual’s potential is nourished. She enjoys being able to train alongside her athletes to give immediate corrective feedback and encouragement. Her strengths lie in teaching and coaching swimming, breaking down complex psychomotor skills for novice athletes, and motivating others to perform at their best. She has a passion for learning, and bettering herself and others. She is always seeking to learn more about Triathlon (once nicknamed ‘the sponge’) and cannot wait to share her knowledge and passion with the members of TVTC.
Aubrey began her athletic career participating in a wide variety of team and individual sports before focusing on swimming. She swam competitively for 12 years, and finally made the transition to triathlon in 2008. She has competed in sprint, Olympic, and Half-Ironman distance events, and her goal is to race at the age group nationals (Olympic distance) in 2012.
Aubrey graduated with a B.S. in Sociology from UC Santa Cruz, receiving honors in the major. She is currently researching Masters Programs in Sports Management and Kinesiology.
Favorite quote : “A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what boats are made for.”
Steve Lorey
Steve is a lifelong, competitive athlete who understands the challenges new athletes face. He ran track through High School while participating in a variety of sports including boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts. In 2010, he started the transformation to triathlete and completed both sprint and Olympic distance events. He is excited about 2011 and hopes to move up to the half ironman distance.
Steve is a leader and teacher who is keenly aware of how to motivate both large groups and individuals. He is currently a USA Cycling level 3 coach and is excited to become a USA Triathlon certified coach later this year.
Steve hopes to help foster an environment where athletes of all levels can reach their individual maximum potential. He is passionate about the team experience and believes that cohesive group efforts lead to the most enjoyable and productive individual workouts. He is a meticulous researcher and is constantly seeking to incorporate the latest and most effective workouts into the training plan.
