Para Endurance Coaching

I am a Deaf athlete. Scott helps me meet my goals in planning out my races schedules in terms of balance with resting/recovery and come back to it stronger and better. He helps me in my understanding of nutrition/food intakes, what gear fits me better, and be proactive with my injuries. He knows people where he can make the connection of what I need in training or updating my triathlon gear.

Because I eat and live on this sport as an adrenaline junkie, his services improve my lifestyle by managing my stress, release, and assisting me being healthy & fit. Once I start the race, I am in it and feel the power of working hard and endurance. Those are the most sweetest feelings ever. He has helped me also in managing my stress - which helps my relationship with my friends, family, marriage, and to stay sober.

He has made an impact on my life by being willing to learn American Sign Language, ASL. He is willing to go out to understand you and what you need as a person/athlete. When we are at the same race and they do not provide an interpreter, Scott gives me access to information at the races and the awards by using ASL. That makes me feel that I am part of the tri community more than I was before. I am so honored and impressed that Scott is willing to learn ASL because it gives me that power of access to the sport, races and information that I didn’t know what I was missing in the past. If you are looking to overcome obstacles, I would recommend you consider him for a coach.

"I met Scott in April 2019 before my first Triathlon (sprint distance). I was introduced to him by one of the race directors who knew that I am a below the knee amputee and knew that Coach Scott was the only local certified USA Para-Triathlon coach. I immediately liked Coach Scott. He is very personable and has a great attitude in general. From day one, Coach Scott genuinely wanted to help me improve my skills and fitness.Coach Scott and I began working together during the summer of 2019. I should mention that in addition to Coach Scott, I also worked with other local triathlon coaches so that I could make an educated decision on who was best suited to prepare me for the goals I have set.

Coach Scott worked with me, mostly on swimming but also some running as well. At that time, I did not have a prosthetic specifically for running and was doing sprint distance triathlons on a walking prosthetic. Coach Scott has a significant network of resources and partnerships and through Coach Scott, I met my current Prosthetist, David Rotter, who fit me and constructed my most prized possession, my running blade.

By the end of the 2019 summer, I had fallen in love with the sport of Triathlon. After receiving my blade I contacted Coach Scott and together we chose a Half Ironman, Lubbock 70.3. I started training regularly and seriously with Coach Scott at the end of November, 2019 and since then my fitness and my swim skills have dramatically improved. I am also running farther and faster than I thought I was capable of and cycling faster than ever before.

As I stated previously, Coach Scott has a significant network of partnerships and resources all over the country and throughout the sport. I've received great discounts on bike helmets, Tri Suits, nutritional supplements, wetsuits, swim gear, etc. After 25 years racing Triathlon, Coach Scott has a wealth of knowledge about what works, what doesn't and what to think about or consider while preparing for a race.

I think what I like best about working with Coach Scott is the accountability aspect of training with a coach. Not so much that I need someone to make me get out and do the workouts but more like I need someone (who I respect) that's "been there done that" to keep me in check and prevent me from over training and suffering an injury which, for an adaptive athlete, is a very real concern.

Coach Scott is a great guy whom I trust. We speak regularly about my training over the telephone and often meet in person for a swim session, track workout or a bike ride. Scott is my coach but he's also become a good friend. Scott genuinely cares about and believes in me. He takes pride in his coaching and his athletes and seems to truly enjoy watching us succeed."

"Coach Scott made a complete difference in my first half ironman. Could I have gotten through it without his coaching? Sure. Would I have deemed the race a success? Probably not. I attribute not just finishing the race, but finishing it well, and one I am proud of - to him. He was with me every step of the way helping me sort out what gear I needed, how to train, what to eat (or not eat), and so much more. I am a highly organized and anxious person and Scott was able to help me focus, sort through everything, and give me the advice I needed to make my first half ironman a success. I would recommend his coaching to anyone - whether you're a seasoned triathlete - or just starting out - he knows how to work with everyone."

"I met Scott back in 2018 at my first Paratriathlon Nationals. I was immediately impressed with his level of knowledge and support. He was there coaching a few of his athletes, and offered help for me that weekend as well.

Fast forward a couple of years, and I was dealing with burnout, and loss of interest for triathlon. I had let my life circumstances, and the COVID pandemic get the better of me. I reached out to Scott for advice. He then took me on as an athlete. What I wanted was a coach, but what I got was far more. I ended up gaining a dear friend, and mentor.

Scott helped me find the love of the sport again and helped me regain the fitness that I had lost. His goal with Para Endurance Coaching is to come alongside athletes, and that’s exactly what he does. He coached me back to my first races post pandemic, and back into a consistent routine.

Not only is he a great triathlon coach, he’s also incredibly supportive outside of competition. He offered help through the loss of a job and the death of a family member. His time as a pastor, years of competition, and dedication to his athletes make him an incredible person to work with. He’s also not afraid to tell a few dad jokes."

“I was a brand new triathlete when I first met Scott. We met at a Challenged Athletes Foundation training camp for adaptive athletes. The camp was for those wanting to learn more about triathlons on beginning and intermediate levels. This was August 2016. Right away Scott dove in to help me and also learn as much as he could on adaptive athletes needs and different setup issues we encounter. The first thing you will notice about Scott is his smile and warm personality! Fast forward to spring 2018, I had reconnected with Scott and we talked about me doing the Boulder Half Ironman, I knew I wanted Scott in my corner. Well, shortly after we teamed up I found out I was going to the World Championships in Kona Hawaii for the Full Ironman. Mind you I had not even ever done a half distance Ironman. In less than 6 months Scott took me from newbie triathlete to IRONMAN Ready. My starting point was that of a recreational biker/ runner, if not less. So this was a monumental task being an adaptive athlete. Scott would go out of his way to make sure my millions of questions were answered. He gave me pep talks when I needed them and also pushed me when I needed it. We had a wild ride together to get me to the end of that finish line, but when I crossed that line I felt great, my race was fantastic and I couldn’t have been more prepared for the time we had! Thank you Scott for being in my corner and sharing the journey.”

"Scott Benefield’s Para Endurance Coaching Camp provided me with invaluable information for my Lubbock 70.3 preparation. Being able to swim in Dunbar Lake and actually ride the bike course gave me the familiarization I needed for the successful completion of the Lubbock 70.3 on race day. Highly recommended for anyone wishing to have a good experience on race day"

“I have been working with Coach Scott since May of 2018. I met Coach Scott at a paratriathlon camp in January of 2018 and my coach at the time had little understanding of the paratriathlon world. I was ready to work with someone who understood competing as a triathlete in the para community. Coach Scott was not only certified through USAT but knew and works with the community closely. As an athlete, I have competed in two Ironmans, four Half Ironmans, sprints and Olympics as well. When I began working with Coach Scott he coached me through my first Paratriahtlon National Championship and I was a bronze finish. He also coached my through my first ITU World Cup event in Sarasota, FL as well as my first Paracycling event as the Track Nationals in Colorado Springs, CO. I have managed to cut my swim time from 2:20 per 110 yard down to 1:40 ish on a good day and my run has improved immensely. My cycling has also taken off where we are beginning to work with power and incorporating strength training. I have enjoyed this process with Coach Scott in learning what my body can and will do. The most important piece of our relationship, however, is the ability to let him know when life is affecting me and how. I believe its crucial for an athlete, especially one that is pursuing elite status, to be transparent. I have been able to have this relationship without it becoming an excuse. Coach Scott is able to balance empathy as a coach as well as push me to not let life get in the way of a healthy and balanced life of an athlete.”

“I had the privilege to be coached by Scott Bennefield for a year as he helped me prepare for my very first triathlon and first full Ironman. Scott shared with me his wealth of knowledge on how to train properly, tapering, nutrition, supplements, products, creating for me a great training plan and more. I’ve come to love the triathlon sport thanks to Scott Bennefield. Scott gave me the right guidance to help me reach my goals. I’ve never felt any better about myself and losing over 50 pounds and being in the best shape I’ve ever been in definitely helps in feeling this great. Not only has Scott been an inspiration to me but is truly a great friend, an encourager, training accountability partner, and a great coach. I would highly recommend him to anyone.”

“I met Scott at a camp for new paratriathletes and I remember having good lunch conversations with him. Fast forward two years and I saw him at another camp and read about successes his athletes were posting on social media. I contacted Scott about working with me, and I found his approach to be thorough and rooted in a great deal of knowledge and in his own vast personal experience in endurance sports. Scott combines coaching, communication, and a genuineness that results in a solid training plan, and more importantly a solid partnership. In our time together I was able to achieve a personal best half marathon time and was on my way to a personal best half Ironman time before weather shortened the race. Aside from on the course successes, I dealt with some difficult personal and injury situations and I appreciate Scott’s ability to be flexible and understand while still adapting training so I could get as much out of my time as possible. I appreciate his support for his athletes both in sport and in life.”

"Scott called us at the end of March and told us about the Lubbock 70.3 Recon Camp happening during Memorial Day weekend and that there were still open spots available to sign up for the Lubbock Ironman 70.3 event at the end of June. George and I both knew right there and then that this sounded perfect to us and that we wanted to sign up for both. The Recon Camp was everything we had hoped it would be. It prepared us well. We knew that we did not want to show up to our first Ironman 70.3 event without attending the Recon Camp. For us attending the camp was a mission-critical step. Being able to check out and train on the actual terrain with excellent coaches who had done this race themselves many times before, getting lots of helpful tips along the way was truly invaluable. We arrived at our first Ironman 70.3 event with much more confidence and felt that we had done our due diligence as best we could. We certainly can highly recommend this camp!"