"Respect others - but never fear them" - Steve Trew, national coach

An examination of any successful athlete's most important characteristics will inevitably result in a number of key traits. Speed, strength, stamina, dexterity, flexibility; the list is practically endless. Yet, there is one common element that is shared among all such athletes: the mind.

Steve Trew, the Malta triathlon team coach, certainly thinks so. He describes the mind as the "most important muscle" which, coming from someone who deals in a sport that physically is extremely demanding, is nothing short of astonishing.

As soon as he explains the reason behind such a claim, however, its validity becomes immediately apparent.

"What's the most important characteristic in a good triathlete? To have a strong brain. That's it. We always say that the single most important muscle is the mind," he says before explaining that athletes can only be successful "if they listen, if they take on board new ideas, if they're not scared when they see other athletes... you have to respect others, but you mustn't be afraid of them."

Mental attitude is therefore the key to success, at least according to Trew. And there are plenty of people prepared to listen to his theories.

The author of two popular books - Triathlon, Skills of the Game and Triathlon: A Training Manual - he is a widely respected triathlon expert who has coached medallists at the highest level and was at the Sydney Olympics as part of the British team.

Next summer, he expects to be in Athens, although this time as a race commentator. A former Director of Coaching for Great Britain, a journalist and a novelist, his versatility sets him apart as one of the more knowledgeable persons about triathlon.

He is also quite familiar with Malta where he first came in 1968 and which has been a base for annual training camps he holds for his athletes. This mixture of experience at a sporting and personal level made him the ideal choice as a national coach.

"I'm in love with Malta anyway - we spend our holidays here - and it was a fantastic opportunity.

"Over the years, I've had a good relationship with the likes of Nicky Farrugia and Mary Lyn Bezzina. So, for me it was a great opportunity to work with athletes I know and respect in the knowledge that I'm going to get really positive feedback," he said.

His first opportunity to sample that feedback came at a training camp organised by the Malta Triathlon Association that was attended by 15 leading athletes.

"We've achieved several things," he said. "First of all to try and show the athletes that there are enormous ways progressing, that there isn't just one fixed way of doing things.

"You've got to look at everything and listen to new coaches. I think that this is critically important: I think that if you have your own coach you should still be going out to listen to other coaches.

"Quite often, in a small community there can be the mentality that 'I can't do it'. Whatever the situation, you can use it in a positive way and you can achieve the best for yourself.

"Nicky is an excellent role model since he's achieved so much in swimming. Having someone like him in this group is very positive because the others can look at him and say that 'if he's achieved it, so can I'."

Apart from being an excellent role model, Farrugia is also an exception as far as local triathletes are concerned in that he excels in his swimming.

This is often the main failing and something that Trew indirectly acknowledged by focusing most of the training on this particular segment.

"The majority of triathletes come from a running background which is good. But swimming is very technical and if you haven't started from a young age, you're always playing catch-up," he explains.

"Most of the things we've done on swimming have been focused on the technical aspect, getting the basic things right."

Race to strengths, train to weakness

One of Trew's most remarkable traits is that, even when he's pointing out a failing, it always sounds as if he's motivating the particular athlete rather than criticising. It is as if he has a talent for identifying each athlete's weakness and using that to maximise the individual's potential.

So it is of little surprise when it emerges that this forms part of his core beliefs. "We say that you race to your strengths but train to your weakness. It is the things that you don't like doing that you have to focus on."

As it turned out, the Maltese triathletes were undeniably willing to work on their weaknesses.

"I think that the work ethic is very good: people are ready to work very hard. I think that there is the need for technical efficiency. Looking at the swimming stroke, looking at the running technique, looking at the positioning on the bike, bike-handling skills. But, certainly the work ethic is there and in most cases it is a matter of fine tuning.

"There's enormous potential... enormous potential," Trew declares, repeating the comment as if to emphasise his belief in it.

Having potential is one thing, expressing it is another. Most Maltese athletes can only train in their own time which limits their development. Or does it?

"I don't necessarily think that it is a problem," Trew said. "It can be done. The thing is that they don't have to be tri-athletes, they have to be jugglers. They've got to juggle all the work, the training, the family and the commitments of the real life. That's the secret."

Doing well at the Triathlon Championships for Small States of Europe, in Cyprus this month, is the main target for the Maltese. Trew won't be drawn into any predictions.

He said: "I'm not really aware of the standard so I would be purely guessing. International competition is vital though."