Another Successful Summer for Malta Youth Triathlon Academy-MYTA

The Malta Triathlon Federation has noted with satisfaction the completion of another successful summer of its children and youth nursery, the Malta Youth Triathlon Academy - MYTA.

MYTA has been established in the Summer of 2013 following a development project through the European Triathlon Union (ETU). Upon its foundation, the MYTA has immediately found the priceless support of the Kunsill Malti ghall-iSport (KMS) which offered its training facilities and its coaching structures and has been of great assistance ever since. In fact, the MYTA training sessions has been part of the KMS programmes of SkolaSport and Summer On The Move ever since.

From humble beginnings of just a handful of young athletes, MYTA has developed into a veritable nursery of talented young triathletes between 6 years and 16 years. Currently there are around 60 young athletes on the books and over 100 athletes who have trained with the Academy in the past 3 years.  The children and youths are now divided into 2 groups, with one group geared more towards performance and another group with more basic training. All children train 3 times a week, 2 hours each time, at the KMS facilities at Kirkop Sports Complex and the National Pool Complex.

Coaching is one crucial part of the programme and the MYTA is coordinated by the National Triathlon Coach, Dermot Galea. Under his leadership, the MYTA Coaches are certified Triathlon Coaches Matthew Azzopardi and Marthese Fava. Recently two other coaches has been added, Lydon Bonnici and Kelly Busuttil.

Athletes from the MYTA has also had the opportunity to attend International Training Camps organised by the ETU in Croatia, Slovenia, Spain, Lithuania and Hungary. This summer Maltese young triathletes competed for the first time in International Youth Triathlons. In the coming weeks, 4 young triathlets from MYTA Emila Vella, Thomas Woods, Andre Camilleri u Malcolm Vassallo will be forming part of the National School of Sport for the first time. 

In order to conclude another successful summer of triathlon, the MYTA will be holding an event on the 18th September in the KMS facility of Kirkop. The event will consist of triathlon races for kids and youths even those not attending MYTA, followed by a medal-giving ceremony. This event is aimed to collect funds for the Malta Community Chest Fund through the Solidarjeta' bl-iSport Campaign.

The Malta Triathlon Federation would like to express its gratitude to the Kunsill Malti ghall-iSport (KMS) and the European Triathlon Union (ETU) who help, guidance and assistance is of vital importance for this project.