About Coach Spot
Meet Spot Anderson - the Emperor Penguin!
Spot is our Coach at Lake Mac Multisport as well as head coach at Swansea Swim Centre. He has pretty much coached everything from kids learn to swim through to Olympians and everything in between! He’s a bit of an old, crazy coach but we love him ;)
Although Spot has helped many Olympians, Surf Ironman and Triathletes become champions, he also specialises introducing adults to both pool and open water swimming. Spot’s greatest gift lies in intuitively knowing his athletes – how to get fearful first timers into the water and feel relaxed, or getting the best out of athletes racing for a gold medal. He has learnt a lot of tricks from some of the best swimmers in the world, but perhaps more importantly, he’s learnt more from some of the worst swimmers in the world ;)
“Spot’s greatest gift lies in intuitively knowing his athletes – how to get fearful first timers into the water and feel relaxed, or getting the best out of athletes racing for a gold medal.”
Coaching History
Spot ran Bondi Fit - a massive surf swim/ triathlon group based at Sydney’s most iconic beach!
Spot (John) is bottom left with he big head! He had the biggest head of 10 kids by the age of 12 even though he was 2nd youngest! Both his daughters Bonnie & Molly have heads off the size chart too!
Spot is one of 10 kids and in 1969 when he was 4 years old & Neil Armstrong was landing on the moon his older brothers threw him off the rocks at North Bondi to see if he would sink or swim. Not only did he swim but he cracked a wave back to the beach!
Spot began his coaching career at Bondi in 1983, coaching the local swim club kids at Bondi Icebergs Pool then went on to work under legendary Australian Swim Coach Laurie Lawrence on the Gold Coast in the 1990s – and he hasn't stopped helping people swim ever since. He also did the first ever Level 1 & Level 2 (Performance Coach) Triathlon coaching courses run by Triathlon Australia in 1989. Yep he’s been riding his bike, running & coaching triathletes for a long, long time!
Spot started and ran Bondi Fit – one of Sydney’s largest and most popular surf swim and triathlon groups based at iconic Bondi beach until recently relocating to Lake Macquarie as Head Coach at Swansea Swim Centre.
It has been over 30 years but his spirit is still as fresh as it was back in 1983!
Athletic Achievements
1987: 6 months after giving up competitive surfing, Spot arrives with a BANG on the endurance scene! In a 1km swim across Sydney Harbour & a 10km run he defeated recently crowned World Triathlon Champion Rick Wells (NZ), runner up Rob Barel (Holland), Australia’s Top Triathletes including Marc Dragan & Australia’s top Surf Ironmen including Guy Leech & Darren Mercer.
Former Rip Curl surfer Coach Spot won the 1982 Schoolboys Surfing Title at Caves Beach!
Spot himself has been one of Australia's best all round athlete having competed on WSL World Surf Tour before winning Australia's 1st World Title as part of the all conquering Ozzie Team at the 1989 World Triathlon Championships! He then took on the surf once again in the prestigious Uncle Tobys/ Nutri Grain Ironman Circuit.
The new dad (at 50) is a bit more sedate these days but still competes regularly in ocean swims, surfing, triathlons, SUP/ kayak races & will have a trot in the major fun runs/ marathons! If you want to learn any of sports available via a private lesson you will be amazed at his attention to detail.
Spot's sporting resume is quite unique in Australian sport:
1982 - 1986 Australia Titles Surfing & WCT qualifying events including Bells Beach & Billabong Pro. He also won Bondi Boardriders Open Division 20 years apart in 1986 & 2006.
1987/ 1988 Champion of Sydney Biathlon Champion defeating Australia's best Surf Ironman & Triathletes!
1989 Australian National Series Winner & Australian Triathlete of the Year (ahead of future World Champions Greg Welch, Brad Bevan & Miles Stewart).
1989 Gold Medal Team Australia - World Triathlon Championships Avignon, France.
1990 Commonwealth Games Trials Triathlon Winner.
1991 PB of 44:23 in City To Surf.
1991 - 1996 Uncle Tobys/ Nutri Grain Ironman competitor.
Ironman Australia Swim Winner 1996 - 1st Pro & 2014 - 1st age-grouper overall Ironman Cairns.
2001 Australian Sprint Triathlon Champion (35 - 39).
2002 & 2004 Australian Surf Ironman Champion (35-39).
2006 Coolangatta Gold Surf Ironman Masters Champion.
2010 4th overall (aged 44) in Cole Classic Swim.
2014 Hawaii Ironman Finisher.
2016 Became a dad!
2016+ Much Slower Dad Athlete ;-)