Orlando Triathlon Coach | USA Triathlon Level III Coach
Founder & Head Coach, Central Florida Tri Club and Tri Peak Athlete
You deserve a coach who understands your goals and takes the time to understand you.
Maybe you’re preparing for your first triathlon, returning after time away, or chasing a performance you’ve worked toward for years. Wherever you’re starting, I want to help you train with purpose, understand your progress, and arrive at the starting line feeling prepared.
I’m Hector L. Torres, a USA Triathlon Level III Coach with more than 20 years of coaching experience and two master’s degrees in fields that shape my work every day: Sport & Fitness and Health Science.
Based in Orlando, I founded Central Florida Tri Club in 2005 and Tri Peak Athlete in 2007. My work has brought me alongside beginners, age-group competitors, junior and elite athletes, paratriathletes, and Special Olympics athletes. Each has taught me something about what good coaching requires.
It starts with listening. Then we build a plan that fits your goals, your abilities, and your life.
Schedule a Coaching Consultation
A Background in Physiology. A Personal Approach to Coaching.
My academic training gives me a foundation for understanding how the body responds to exercise and adapts over time.
I hold a Master’s degree in Sport & Fitness, with a concentration in Sport Leadership and Coaching, from the University of Central Florida, and a Master’s degree in Health Science, with a concentration in Sport Performance, from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions.
My background in physiology and sport performance informs how I approach training progression, fatigue, strength, and recovery. My education in leadership and coaching shapes how I teach, communicate, and support athletes through the process.
In practice, that means every workout should have a purpose. You should understand what we’re working on, how it connects to your goals, and when we need to adjust.
I use training data and athlete feedback together. Pace, power, and heart rate can tell us a great deal. So can an honest conversation about poor sleep, a demanding workweek, or a session that felt harder than expected.
Experience Across the Sport
Over more than two decades, I’ve helped athletes prepare for their first finish lines, improve their race execution, and pursue national and international competition.
My coaching experience includes athletes who have qualified for age-group and paratriathlon world championships, earned IRONMAN age-group wins, and qualified for Kona. I have also worked with junior and elite athletes competing at national and international levels.
I served as Head Coach for the 2012 Team USA Paratriathlon team and have held leadership responsibilities as Chair and Paratriathlon Coordinator for the USA Triathlon Florida/Southeast Region.
As a long-distance triathlete myself, including racing at the IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii, I understand the commitment behind an athlete’s goals. I know what it means to fit training around responsibilities, work through difficult days, and keep showing up when progress feels slow.
Those experiences help me relate to athletes. The coaching itself comes back to what each person needs.
Building a Community Where Athletes Belong
I founded Central Florida Tri Club to give athletes a place to learn, train together, and feel supported.
A strong training community makes a difference. There’s someone to meet you for an early swim, encourage you during a difficult session, and celebrate the progress you might otherwise overlook.
That sense of belonging extends to athletes with disabilities. Through my work in paratriathlon and as Head Coach of Special Olympics WITS, I’ve seen how thoughtful coaching and appropriate support can create opportunities for athletes and their families.
In 2018, CFL Tri Club member Wynne McFarlin approached me about helping establish a Special Olympics triathlon pilot program in Florida. We began with six athletes and worked to develop skills, confidence, and readiness for their first season.
Chris Nikic was among those early participants. Being part of the program’s beginnings reinforced my commitment to meeting athletes where they are and adapting how I teach.
Every athlete deserves to be taken seriously. We build from what they can do today and keep working toward what comes next.
My Coaching Philosophy
I want you to become a more capable athlete who understands the decisions behind your training.
We’ll set meaningful goals, establish a realistic starting point, and build consistency. Along the way, we’ll pay attention to the habits that support progress and the obstacles that make it harder.
Three questions guide my approach.
Who Are You as an Athlete?
Before prescribing training, I want to understand your experience, motivations, and responsibilities. What do you enjoy? What makes you hesitate? How much time can you realistically commit?
Your answers help us build a plan you can follow and a coaching relationship where you feel comfortable speaking honestly.
What Are You Practicing for Race Day?
Training is where we develop the habits you’ll rely on when racing gets difficult.
We practice pacing, fueling, technique, transitions, and staying composed. Some sessions challenge your limits. Others build endurance or give your body time to recover. Knowing the difference matters.
Consistent, purposeful work gives you something reliable to draw on when you reach the starting line.
Are You Listening to Your Body?
Progress requires effort and enough recovery to adapt to that effort.
I teach athletes to pay attention to fatigue, sleep, soreness, motivation, and changes in performance. When something needs to change, we adjust the plan.
Learning when to push and when to step back is a skill that supports long-term participation in the sport.
Bringing Recovery Education Into Training
Recovery is part of how I coach, and it also connects with my professional work beyond the club.
I serve as U.S. & Puerto Rico Business Development Manager for WINBACK, working with practitioners and performance professionals on education, implementation, and the integration of WINBACK technology into their services.
WINBACK is also a sponsor of Central Florida Tri Club. I value the opportunity that relationship creates to bring recovery education and technology demonstrations to our athlete community.
My coaching role and my WINBACK role are connected through a shared interest in athlete support. I help athletes ask informed questions, understand the purpose of recovery strategies, and recognize when input from a qualified healthcare professional is appropriate.
Club updates provide details about available demonstrations, educational events, and participation opportunities.
Coaching Credentials
- USA Triathlon Level III Coach
- USA Cycling Level II Coach
- USA Swimming Coach
- USA Track & Field Level I Coach
- USA Weightlifting Level I Coach
- Slowtwitch F.I.S.T. Bike Fitter
Work With Me
If you’re looking for coached group sessions and a supportive training community, Central Florida Tri Club is a place to get started.
If you want individualized coaching, I offer that through Tri Peak Athlete. Depending on your goals and program, our work can include a personalized training plan, ongoing adjustments, training-data review, swim, bike, and run assessments, race preparation, and guidance on strength and recovery.
We’ll begin with a conversation about your training history, available time, and what you want to accomplish. From there, we can discuss the coaching options, support, and pricing that fit your needs.
I want you to enjoy the process as you work toward your goals. A faster time can be rewarding. So can completing your first race, finding consistency, or discovering that you’re capable of more than you thought.
Let’s talk about your next step.