Background: Given the multi-modal nature of triathlon (swimming, cycling, running), training for a triathlon event has numerous potential health benefits including physical fitness. However, triathletes also have a high prevalence of health issues including overuse injury, illness, fatigue, and burnout. To address the ongoing prevalence of health issues, roundtable discussions were organized at the International Triathlon Union Science of Triathlon 2017 conference to develop strategic objectives deemed necessary to "futureproof triathlon". Futureproofing as a concept serves to design new approaches and ways of thinking to reduce consequences in the future. In this case, the futureproof process aimed to develop key recommendations for triathlon. Methods: This qualitative study had 22 participants including athletes, coaches, practitioners, academics, and policy makers who participated in roundtable discussions at the Science of Triathlon conference. Seven of these participants completed follow-up semi-structured interviews on the same topics. The data collected from the roundtable discussions and the semi-structured interviews was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Five main themes were produced: "Critical appraisal and application of knowledge"; "Integrated approaches to developing, disseminating, and using research and expertise"; "Appropriate development and use of measures for monitoring training and recovery"; "Knowing your athletes and adopting holistic approaches to athlete/person-development", and; "Challenging accepted cultural and sporting norms". Participants indicated the need to reduce the knowledge gap between research and practice as well as a more collaborative approach to triathlon research development amongst coaches/practitioners and academics. It was stated that current monitoring tools require more research to determine which are most useful to informed decision making for coaches/practitioners. It was cautioned that data driven assessments should be used judiciously and be athlete centered. Triathlon as a sport should also have a greater focus on healthy participation and development of youth athletes. Conclusions: A series of applied implications were developed based on these five themes as guiding principles for how to futureproof triathlon. Additionally, roundtable and interview participants who held varying positions and opinions within the sport of triathlon agreed that the unique challenge of training for and competing in a triathlon should not be forgotten in the futureproofing of the sport.

The wellbeing of high-performance athletes has recently received increased research attention, yet there has been little focus on how wellbeing may be conceptualized within the context of specific sports. Thus, the aim of the current study was to understand and recognise high-performance swimmers' wellbeing. The study used an interpretive description methodology (Thorne, 2016). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight elite swimmers and 13 coaches and practitioners currently working with swimmers on the performance pathway. Interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2019). Participants indicated that, within the context of high-performance swimming, swimmer wellbeing is an individual phenomenon, underpinned by personal values and goals, which influence how it is experienced. Changes in swimmers' wellbeing was characterized by a range of affective, cognitive, and behavioral indicators that were specific to the individual and influenced by their personal definition of wellbeing. The findings emphasize the subjective nature of wellbeing, in terms of how it is understood, experienced, and recognized within high-performance swimming. Taken together, these findings highlight the importance of coaches, practitioners, and other support staff knowing each athlete with whom they work, particularly regarding the personal values and goals that underpin their understanding of wellbeing, as well as each person's specific indicators of changing wellbeing levels.

Attentional resources might be automatically attracted to highly motivational stimuli such as a possible sexual partner. We tested whether attention would be automatically attracted to images of men vs women in women with a self-reported sexual attraction to men (androphilic), women (gynephilic) or to both men and women (ambiphilic) in a dot-probe paradigm. While androphilic women showed a small bias towards the female images, both ambiphilic and gynephilic women showed a strong bias towards the female images. The results show that these early automatic processes of attention are towards women in this sample of ambiphilic women and therefore inconsistent with their self-report sexual preferences.

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The aims of the present thesis were two-fold. First, to gain an in-depth understanding of high-performance swimmers’ experiences of wellbeing. Second, to develop, implement, and evaluate an intervention aimed at protecting and promoting the wellbeing of high-performance swimmers. Study 1 used an interpretive description methodology to explore swimmers’ wellbeing experiences, in terms of how it was understood, experienced, and recognised. Findings suggested that wellbeing was understood and experienced in relation to personal values and goals, and could be recognised via numerous affective, cognitive, and behavioural indicators. Study 2 used a grounded theory methodology to develop a substantive theory of the process through which participation in high-performance swimming affects athlete wellbeing. The resultant theory illustrated how a dominant performance narrative influenced the development and maintenance of an exclusive swimmer identity that was tied to performance. Subsequently, transitions were highlighted as critical points where wellbeing was likely to be affected, due to the increased potential for change and uncertainty to impact on performance (and therefore identity). However, proactive coping strategies (e.g., planning, social support) were shown to minimise the impact on wellbeing. Informed by the findings of the first two studies, Study 3 used an action research methodology to develop, implement, and evaluate the delivery and effectiveness of a multi-component online wellbeing intervention. Findings suggested the intervention was effective in increasing knowledge and skills, improving self-awareness, and provided reassurance that led to increased confidence in coping abilities. Such outcomes were perceived to be facilitated by the delivery of timely and relevant content, the inclusion of a professional swimmer, use of real-world examples, and opportunities for self-reflection and interaction with peers. However, findings also illustrated some key challenges related to delivering a workshop-based intervention, such as ensuring content is relevant and useful for all, and delivering workshops at a time that suits everyone, in a format that fits individual preferences.