Meet Shelly O’Brien
USA Triathlon Level 3 Elite Development Coach
“It is the collective endeavor and creativity of athlete and coach that produces performance, not laboratory experiments nor math equations.”
Professional Coach & Personal Trainer
Shelly O’Brien is a USA Triathlon Level 3 Elite Development Coach and the owner of IconOne Multisport headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. Shelly has coached a wide range of top-ranked triathletes from juniors to professionals. The following list details Shelly’s extensive resume:
- More than 28 years experience – began coaching and personal training in 1990.
- BS Sports Medicine
- USA Triathlon Level 3 Elite Certified Coach, one of only (18) individuals to achieve this designation
- Strength and Conditioning Specialist
- USA Triathlon Regional Talent Identification Coordinator
- USA Cycling Coach
- USA Triathlon Certified Youth and Junior Coach
- USA Triathlon Coach Certification Instructor
- USA Triathlon National Camp Director
- USA Triathlon Certified Event Director
- Contributing Author, “Women’s Guide to Triathlon”. Chapter: The Development Athlete
- Regular contributor to online and published sport resources including Triathlete Magazine, Triathlon Times, Active.com
- Studying to become a certified sport nutritionist.
In addition to coaching individuals, Shelly’s annual calendar includes camps and clinics across the USA for both athlete and coach development. Venues range from local athletic facilities to the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and National Training Center in Clermont, FL.
If you’re interested in specific training information, you can contact Shelly directly using the contact form.
Founder – IconOne Multisport
IconOne Multisport was founded during 2006 in response to the development of draft legal and Olympic Development within the sport of Triathlon, the growing need for coach education and quality guidance for the non-draft athletes. It has become a source of premier triathlon coaching for athletes of all ages (7+), abilities (inexperienced to professional), distances (sprint to IronMan), styles (draft legal & non-draft), and genders (male and female).
Professional Coaching Success
Although Shelly has enjoyed an amazing personal career in many sports (more about that below), today she is most passionate about coaching and helping others develop the athlete within. Her personal experiences combined with a quest for knowledge provide a dynamite combination generously shared. Her competitive spirit is channeled into effective training plan design for the individual (or group) she is working with.
Highlights of Shelly’s coaching career include;
- Short-listed for 2012 and 2014 Youth Olympic Games Triathlon Coach,
- 2010 FISU (University World Games) Head Coach,
- Numerous development athlete national titles and professional status achievements,
- Numerous Top age-group and world championship performances at all distances(Sprint, Olympic, 70.3 and Ironman).
- Helping anyone who is passionate and dedicated to learning more about themselves through the sport of triathlon.
The international success isn’t complete without mention of the infinite number of individuals, athlete and coach, who simply enjoy the active lifestyle triathlon supports. Guiding these individuals brings the greatest joy as they embrace the journey of dream to reality and personal success.
Equestrian & Tetrathlete
Originally from Council Bluffs, Iowa, Shelly established herself as a top national competitor in the equestrian world. Gaining recognition through the United States Pony Club, Shelly earned two national championship titles and a top six world championship finish in tetrathlon (swim, run, shooting, cross-country equestrian riding).
Collegiate & High School Athlete
During high school, Shelly became one of Iowa’s premier cross-country runners and excelled at the 400 meter distance. She regards her participation in the prestigious Drake relays on two different occasions as a career highlight. She then competed at the collegiate level in swimming, fencing and soccer at Sweet Briar College, where she earned a B.S. in Sports Medicine in May 1994.
Pentathlete
After college Shelly moved to San Antonio, Texas, since at that time the city hosted the Olympic Training Center for modern pentathlon (fencing, swim, run, shooting, cross-country equestrian riding). Her pentathlon career peaked with an individual gold medal performance at the 1995 U.S. Olympic Festival.
Triathlete & Duathlete
Following the International Olympic Committee decision not to include women’s pentathlon in the 1996 Olympic Games, Shelly began looking for another sport in which to compete at the Olympic level. She turned to triathlon.
Since 1998 Shelly has remained a top competitor in triathlon (and duathlon) at the local, regional and national levels. She’s also qualified for and has participated in numerous Team USA rosters for the ITU World Championships in both triathlon and duathlon.