Team Accelerate?
Rob Howard / 06.03.2006
Some well known racers were competing for the new Team Accelerate at the recent ACE Races Full Monty and questions were asked. Who or what are Accelerate, who is in the team, and what plans do the new team have?Accelerate is a new multi-discipline sports training and coaching company, established by Stuart Hale who runs his own successful coaching business and has been involved in management and support through various teams in the past.
The new company is supporting the team, which has been put together by Gill Watson and Keith Read, original members of Team High Five, who had for some time been trying to establish a consistent squad of adventure racers. Neither Gill nor Keith are strangers to success and it was Keith who first suggested the partnership with Accelerate. Stuart said it was during a three day mountain bike ride across Mid Wales that Keith started asking “far too many questions about the possibilities of managing and running a team’ of adventure racers.â€
So Team Accelerate was formed in late 2005. The Team has clear goals in place and a firm committed nucleus of athletes. Some of the names are readily recognisable, such as Ifor Powell, Eddie Winslow and Debs Smith, all experienced and successful racers over the last few years. Debs commented that the whole idea of Team Accelerate seems a real step forward, “combining fun and working within a team that involves committed and motivated peopleâ€. It’s not only experienced racers that have joined Accelerate as the line up also includes athletes with a strong track record in other multi-disciplined sports.
