Bechtel using science, hard work to improve ranking

Photo by Trent Dilkie Caledon's Sean Bechtel is moving his way up the world ranks.

Endurance athletes have to train for years to become world-class.

Twenty-three-year-old Sean Bechtel of Caledon is young in endurance years, but is moving very quickly up the world-rankings in triathlon. The three-time Canadian National Team member, got his start in Caledon's local Kids of Steel Triathlon Series when he was only 13. Today he is one of Canada's greatest triathletes.

Last year, it took Olympic gold medalist Simon Whitfield nearly twothirds of the final run in the Brampton National Triathlon Championships to catch the local man.

Bechtel is a member of the C3 Canadian Cross- Training Group and under the watchful eye of former Olympic coach Barrie Shepley he has continued to see his world rankings jump from 300th to 150 and counting.

"In the last three weeks Sean had a bronze-medal performance in an international race in Florida and backed it up two weeks later with a fifth-place finish in Lima, Peru," said his coach. "We know that living at high altitude gives an athlete a distinct benefit living in the thin-air."

To give Bechtel equal footing with the world's best endurance athletes (many who live at high altitude in countries like Switzerland, Colorado and Mexico City) Shepley researched the possibility of Bechtel living in a high-altitude tent.

"Each night Sean sleeps in a tent that his entire bed fits into and we consistently reduce the oxygen in the tent until he feels like he is sleeping at the top of a mountain every night," said Shepley. With the help of Ka-Yu-Law and Altitude Tech (leaders in altitude tents and training), Shepley has put together a training program to help Bechtel compete on the world stage.

Bechtel does his 4-6 hours of daily training outside of the tent (currently he is training in Florida and will be home in three weeks) and each night he goes into his high-altitude tent to have his body challenged by the low oxygen at 12,000 to 13,000 feet.

"The gap between the best athletes in the world is so small that we have to use all the science we can," said Shepley. "Altitude tents are completely safe and legal, and without the sponsorship help of Kinetico Canada, we would not have been able to afford the high-tech tent."

Bechtel is a member of the C3 High Performance Racing Team which will be doing school visits in May leading up to the 7th annual Kinetico Kids of Steel Triathlon May 27 and the 2007 National Triathlon Championships in Brampton June 30.

Details to register or volunteer for the two events can be found at www.c3online.ca. Anyone interested in getting started in a novice swim-bike or run program for themselves or their kids should contact the C3 Web site or call the office at 905-880-9884.