Madison Multisport Coaches
Coach Cindi Bannink
USA Triathlon Level 2 Certified Coach
Cindi as Coach
In 2011, Cindi was awarded USAT’s National Coach of the Year for her work developing an Olympic qualifier, her commitment to her adult age groupers and the development of a successful junior program in Madison. Cindi is an olympic-level coach with a heart for developing the age group athlete and an ideal choice for anyone wishing to take their training and racing to the next level.
As a USA Triathlon certified coach, beginners and elite level triathletes have benefited from her experience in creating training plans that capitalize on their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. Cindi encourages her athletes to develop goals that elevate them to the next level of performance while maintaining balance in their lives. Her goal is to help athletes increase their efficiency, strength and speed in all three disciplines of triathlon… having fun in the process.
Cindi as Athlete
Cindi is also a successful athlete with over 25 years of experience in competitive endurance athletics. Cindi began racing triathlons following successful high school and college running and swimming careers, raced competitively for 15 years, and is now retired from elite racing to focus more on her coaching career. She is an eight-time USA Triathlon All American, a two-time Hawaii Ironman World Championship finisher and Sprint distance World Champion. Cindi has five times represented the state of Wisconsin at the Best of the US Amateur Triathlon National Championships. Cindi is also an avid cross country skier and participates in the Birkebeiner 50K ski race.
Coach Steven Brandes
USA Triathlon Level 2 Certified Coach
Steve brings 10 years of Endurance coaching to Madison Multisport. Steve is one of the select coaches currently in the USAT High Performance Mentorship Program as well as one of USA Triathlon's Level 2 Endurance Coaches. Steve's speciality is his ability to work with all level of endurance athletes as well as improving their form in each discipline, espesically their swim stroke.
His athletes have:
30 IRONMAN World Championship Qualifiers
5 World Championship Podiums
6 USAT National Champions
2 World Champions
70+ 70.3 World Championship Qualifiers
Steve has also worked for the two largest coaching companies in the US, Carmichael Training Systems and Life Time Fitness. In these positions; Steve presented weekly lectures to developing triathlon coaches and instructed at cycling/triathlon camps. Steve spent countless hours in the A2 Wind Tunnel working with athletes to optimize their bike fit and equipment choices.
As an athlete, Steve is completed over 10 IRONMANS. He’s qualified for IRONMAN, and 70.3 World Championships
Coach Jess Barrett
USA Triathlon Level 1 Certified Coach
2021 IRONMAN Wisconsin AGE GROUP Champion
2022 Door County HALF Distance OVERALL Female Champion
2022 USAT National Championship 3rd Place
Jess has worked with youth swimming and triathlon groups, adult group running teams, and coached a friend to her first 70.3 and Ironman finishes. Jess is also a Coach and Team Ambassador for the Tri4Schools non-profit organization. She is very passionate about the sport of triathlon and is most inspired and motivated as an athlete when she watches others reach their goals and succeed.
Jess began her endurance sport career when she started swimming at the age of 9 years old and competed in it through college at Lawrence University. In 2010, she was introduced to triathlon, got hooked on the sport right away, and decided immediately after finishing her first sprint distance triathlon that she wanted to complete an Ironman. In the 13 years of competing in triathlon since then, Jess has completed 7 Ironmans and finished many 70.3, Olympic and Sprint distance races. She is an Ironman and 70.3 World Championship finisher and has stood on the podium at several of her other races.
Jess attributes much of her success to the amazing coaching she has received and has learned that the key to a successful athlete/coach relationship is communication. Jess is interested in working with athletes at any level who are motivated and hard-working.
“A coach is someone who always makes you do what you don’t want to do, so you can be who you’ve always wanted to be.”