article: It might sound like the start of a joke, but Welsh triathlete Non Stanford, who hopes to win a medal at the Rio Olympics, believes her support team are vital. "Any medal is not an individual victory, it is definitely a team medal," said Stanford, 27, from Leeds. Among them is a dietician, physiologist, doctor, running partner, coaches, and logistical support. The former world triathlon champion said: "I cannot stress how important my support team are. You are the person who has to go out and deliver the performance, but there is a whole team behind you that make it happen, from coaching and cooking to being there and being great friends. "The hard work of a lot of people is transferred into my performance on the day." Stanford, who was born in Bridgend, lived in Swansea and went to university in Birmingham. She was World Triathlon champion in 2013, is now based in Leeds as part of British Triathlon squad, including the Brownlee brothers. She said: "I am very fortunate that all the people I work with are not just staff, they are very good friends and the atmosphere is great." But who are the 20 people working behind the scenes to get Stanford to the start line? The logistics - getting her there on the day Behind the scenes Stanford needs to be entered into races, have accommodation and transport booked, and have everything put in place to ensure she is safe at competitions. Performance director of British Triathlon Brendan Purcell looks after everything related to competitions. "A lot of things go on behind the scenes that we don't know about which he takes care of," said Stanford. "He was involved in organising, planning and putting in place important aspects of our build up and time in Rio; he has to do a lot of the things we don't even know about." The logistics of getting Stanford and her kit there on the day falls to Laura Macey. "We call Laura the 'Loracle' because she absolutely does everything for us," said Stanford. "From booking all our flights and accommodation, to organising our camps, getting our kit to where it needs to be, to knowing about our races. "She is the busiest lady I know." Running, swimming and cycling - working on technique Stanford's team of coaches work on different areas of the triathlon. Giving Stanford tips on the running track is Malcolm Brown, who has been involved with the Brownlee brothers from an early age. "Malcolm is the calming voice in the setup," said Stanford. "He knows what to say, and if he says something that is what goes. He is great to have around. His expertise in running is evident. Jack Maitland focuses on the swimming programme, while head coach Ben Bright takes more of an overview. "Ben oversees all my training," said Stanford. "He makes sure it is all fitting together. His opinion is very important to me. He is someone I feel very fortunate to have on my coaching team. He has helped me to come that
summary: How many people does it take to make a triathlete?