About Mateo
In the summer of 2003 Mateo Mercur founded Trinity Endurance Sport as Trinity Training. Now, Trinity Endurance Sport is the next step in the development of the coaching service that Mateo provides. Since founding Trinity, Mateo has also accepted the duties of Head Coach and Director of the UCSB Triathlon Team. One year later, he was also hired as Director of the UCSB Cycling Team.
Mateo has coached hundreds of athletes from beginner to professional, across the disciplines, in distances from 5K to Ironman to ultramarathon. As Head Coach of both Trinity Endurance Sport and the UCSB Triathlon Team Mateo coaches elites, top age groupers, single sport athletes, and newcomers alike.
Mateo has overseen unprecedented growth and development of the UCSB Triathlon Team in both size and quality. During his first two years the team’s roster doubled to over one hundred and thirty athletes. The team's elite ranks have steadily broadened and elevated. With Mateo as their coach, the UCSB Triathlon Team has steadily improved at Collegiate National Championships, claiming 9th in 2007 and 6th in 2008 and 2009.
Drawing from his experience as a swim coach, a professional triathlete, and a surf rescue swimmer, Mateo has developed a highly effective method of coaching and refining freestyle and open water techniques for the range of athletes from beginner to elite.
Trinity Endurance Sport applies heart rate based training to a periodized annual structure that is built around individual athletes’ personal profiles and their long-term training and racing goals. Mateo reinforces technique, mental focus, and specificity of purpose in order to maximize each training session, week, block, and phase.
Hallmarks of Mateo’s coaching style are the creation of meaningful and motivating long-term goals, progressive training structure, and clear and supportive communication. Mateo’s coaching style is infused with excitement and enthusiasm. His interpersonal approach is informed by his own life in sport.
Mateo began running at the age of nine and began racing triathlon at the age of fourteen. He first qualified for USAT Olympic Distance National Championships in the summer of 1989 at the age of sixteen.
Mateo ran cross-country and track at Dickinson College. He represented the U.S. in Montreal and Perth at the 1999 and 2000 Age-group Olympic Distance World Championships serving as a team captain in 2000. In 1999 Mateo was the USTS 25-29 Olympic Distance National Champion.
Mateo raced in the ITU draft legal format as a pro/elite from 2002-2005.
Beyond his hometown in on the Jersey Shore in Ocean, NJ, Mateo has lived and trained in Boulder, CO and Santa Barbara, CA where he currently resides.
Mateo is an EMT, a Level 1 USAT Coach, and currently pursuing a Masters in Counseling Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara.
|
