Meet Coach T

Tiencia James, MD.,MPH.

“Go all in on your goals because we each only get to live this life once. Let go of the outcomes and with it, fear of failure or unmet expectations. Instead, embrace your journey,with all of its ups and downs, with curiosity and grit to evolve into becoming the best version of yourself in endurance sports and in life.”

Dr. Tiencia James

Coach “T” is a board certified emergency physician who is also a USA Triathlon Level I (short/long course/paratriathlon) and Ironman U certified coach with a life long love of endurance sports. She started running with her father at the age of 6 and never stopped wanting to see how far she could go. While working full time as a physician and raising three kids, her journey in endurance sports started with road racing(5ks-marathons) and over the last ten years has taken her to over 7 countries competing in multiple triathlon long course world championships. Her professional training, along with over 35+ years of competing, has given her an appreciation for the science of sports physiology and nutrition-both what can go right in making the body stronger as well as what goes horribly wrong, often times keeping athletes from reaching their true potential. Coach T is excited to share her knowledge and enthusiasm to guide athletes, many who have an outside career and/or family, to still be able to reach podiums or their peak performance in a way that can promote health, physical/mental wellbeing and longevity in the sport.

Notable Athletic Achievements

  • Run the Reagan Half-marathon 2011- 3rd female overall PR 1:28:53
  •  Boston Marathon 2011
  • Museum of Aviation Marathon 2013-1st place overall female PR 3:10:03
  • Hogpen Hill Climb 18k- Overall female winner 4 times(2022,2020,2019,2018)
  •  Ironman Racine 70.3 2016, 3rd place F35-39
  •  Ironman St. Croix 70.3 2016, 1st female in 35-39AG
  • Great Floridian 2013, 2nd female overall, 1st full distance triathlon
  •  Iberoamerican 70.3 Triathlon Championships 2017, Cuba, 1st place female overall
  • IM Florida 140.2 2019, 3rd female in 40-44 AG, PR 10:39
  •  Qualified and competed in Ironman World Championships 70.3 four times(Australia 2016, Chattanooga 2017,Nice 2019, South Africa 2018)
  • Qualified and competed in Ironman 140.2 World Championships in Kona 2022
  • Winner of Athlete of the Year 2021 by Outspoken Woman in Triathlon
  • HalfRev Triathlon 70.3 Williamsburg 2022, 3rd female overall

Certifications

  • Board Certified Emergency Physician
  • Ironman U Coach Certified
  • USA Triathlon Level I Certified Coach(Long course/short course/paratriathlon)
  • Training Peaks Level 1 Accreditation

Continuing Education/Training in Endurance Sports

  • Endurance Exchange conference 2023
  • Outspoken Woman in Endurance Conference 2022
  • Advanced Team Physician Training Nov 2022(Academy of Sports Medicine)
  • Woman’s Sports and Wellness Conference (Emory Sports Medicine)Aug 2022 
  •  Sports Physiology-Stanford School of Medicine 2022
  • Sports Nutrition, Metabolism-Stanford Continuing Education 2021         

Media/Interviews