The Making of Purple Patch Pros

2000 - 2004

The Grounding of the Story

Matt Dixon, professional triathlete. Adopted the mindset prevalent at the time - high work ethic, commitment and toughness. Components of performance such as recovery, strength and conditioning, and quality nutrition were mere afterthoughts, and undervalued (by Matt and many others chasing world class performance). 

This is all despite Matt’s background as an elite swimmer, Division 1 swim coach and clinical physiologist.

2004

The emergence of the methodology

Trying to adhere to a training program that included more than 30 weekly hours, all while failing to eat enough to fuel the training load, not embracing important recovery, and charging too hard in sessions designed to be easier and lower intensity.

His career ended in 2004, and in the following two years Matt had so much deep fatigue he couldn’t even exercise consistently, let alone train. 

This left him directionless and struggling both mentally and physically.

2005

Matt begins coaching athletes of all levels

While reflecting on his journey and reviewing the landscape of the sport at all levels, Matt saw so many struggling with similar challenges. He felt the approach to endurance sports was broken, with so many athletes fully committed and training hard yet existing in a fog of fatigue.

Matt believed there was a better way and committed to an approach central to the Purple Patch method for the next 15+ years, which we label the Pillars of Performance. Based on practices and habits that deliver sustained high performance from a robust platform of health, it has facilitated Matt coaching people to the highest level of performance.

ENDURANCE
STRENGTH
NUTRITION & FUELING
RECOVERY
MD COACHING NOTES:

The Purple Patch Mindset to High Performance

Below you will see a series of inspiring and exciting outcomes and results. We celebrated all the victories and are proud of our part we played in achieving them but we never directly chased outcomes and results with our athletes.

Our driving motivation and mindset was focused on the process of becoming. Each Pro committed to a long-term plan of development, chasing to be the best version of themselves and the best athlete they could become. But focusing on improving every day, whether that might mean how they handle setbacks, support another athlete, develop a tactic, or increase speed, we saw ongoing gains. By focusing on the journey, the results you see below took care of themselves. This is central to why we always remind athletes to embrace the journey. It is in the journey that the biggest rewards lie, and the best outcomes emerge from.

Cheers

Matt

The Early Years

In the initial two years off working with professional athletes, Matt focused solely on guiding each individual athlete; without much consideration of building a team. It didn’t take long to realize the benefits of developing a team approach, and the Purple Patch Pro Squad emerged.


2006

The First Purple Patch Pro

After coaching her to the overall amateur title at the Hawaii IRONMAN, Tyler Stewart becomes the first Purple Patch Pro. In 2007 Tyler recorded 2nd place at IRONMAN Lake Placid, as well as multiple podiums in Half IRONMAN distances to kickstart the journey.

2007 - 2008

The Purple Patch Pro Squad forms...

with Matt taking on the development of young pros Lara Brown, Kelly Couch, James Cotter, Andrew Yoder and Matt Lieto. Positive results emerge, a performance culture develops, amplified by the fact that the methodology was vastly different than common mindsets and practices at the time.

While the Purple Patch Pro Squad focused less on total training hours, and more on hard work with integrated recovery over many months, others still viewed strength training and recovery as a waste of time and signs of weakness. The Purple Patch pro results begin to turn heads, as podiums and personal breakthroughs become the norm.

Matt Lieto was a cornerstone of the early Purple Patch Pro Squad bringing work ethic, collaboration and support. A culture setting presence.
2008

Individual Performances begin to shine

Chris Lieto joins Purple Patch after struggles at the prior IRONMAN World Championship events. Chris was brave enough to evolve ‘everything’ in his approach, despite Matt’s name being lesser known in the circles of well-known coaches.  This included reducing total weekly training hours by ⅓, consuming an additional 1500 kcals daily, integrating consistent strength training, and embracing greater recovery blocks.

Chris’s training consistency improved; he experienced no injury setbacks and built confidence by feeling fit and fresh and able to elevate performance predictably.

Matt Lieto has a breakout performance at IRONMAN Canada, with a Top 3 finish while adopting a run-walk strategy on the run.  His run split was under 3 hours, a first for Matt, and his fastest miles came between the 20-26th mile markers.

Meanwhile, Tyler Steward won her first IRONMAN at Coeur d’Alene, and Purple Patch Pros accumulated over a dozen wins and podiums across IRONMAN 70.3 events.

2009

2nd Place Hawaii IRONMAN
World Championship

Chris Lieto’s has a breakout season with several IRONMAN 70.3 victories, running faster than ever before, but the culmination of the performance shift arrives with a magical 2nd Place at the Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships.

Rachel Joyce commences her Purple Patch pro Squad career with a breakout 6th place finish, while Tyler Stewart caps a super event for the team with 10th at the Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships.

Chris finishes the season with a 2nd place at IRONMAN Arizona, kick-starting a flurry of wins and podiums across athletes that would extend the next decade

The Purple Patch Pro Squad expands with the addition of amateur athletes Meredith Kessler and Jesse Thomas, who evolve to compete in the professional field. 

Meredith entered the pro field while maintaining her role at the Royal Bank of Canada - full-time work while chasing world-class performance - and quickly becoming a super example of achieving high personal performance within a time-starved life.

Her training approach required a healthy dose of pragmatism and led to the emergence of the Purple Patch saying, focusing on securing your  ‘ best performance within the context of life.’

COACHING NOTES:

High Performance is Built on a Health Platform

The Purple Patch Pro Squad provided enduring lessons on achieving sustained high performance, and became the living laboratory for the ongoing evolution of the Purple Patch Methodology. Our parallel success of time-starved athletes, as well as countless C-Suite executives, emerged from the ability to put these lessons into context for the individual athlete, and adapt to suit their needs and situation. This was how the Purple Patch Methodology went on the serve such a broad range of athletes, from world class to those who just chased improved energy, health and performance in life and business.

2010

Undisputed King of the Wildflower Triathlon

Racing on a borrowed bike (thanks to fellow Purple Patch Pro Matt Lieto), with no sponsored kit and now legendary cheap aviator glasses,Jesse Thomas ran through the field to the win. This initial victory kick-started his professional career, as well as a run of record-setting victories at this race. Six wins in a row have never been accomplished before, and over those victories, Jesse beath some of the best-known names in the sport of triathlon.

Rachel Joyce marches up the list of world-class athletes with an impressive 5th-place finish at the Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships. The Squad expands with the addition of Gina Crawford, Luke Bell, and Emma Kate Lidbury.

Podiums come flooding in over the year, led by Linsey Corbin’s victory at IRONMAN Couer d’Alene, followed by a 2nd place at IRONMAN Arizona; Meredith Kessler continues her time-starved approach with a dominant win at IRONMAN Canada as well as a strong 2nd place at IRONMAN St George. Other notable races with Chris Lieto 1st and Andrew Yoder 3rd at IRONMAN 70.3 Kansas, and Luke Bell claiming 2nd, with Matt Lieto 3rd at the Hawaii IRONMAN 70.3

Linsey Corbin victorious at 2010 IRONMAN Coeur d’Alene - in her signature cowgirl hat
Rookie Pro Jesse Thomas stuns the triathlon world with an overall win at the famous Wildflower Triathlon.
Rachel Joyce secured 6th, 5th, and 4th place at the Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships, won Challenge Roth, and became ITU Long Course World Champion under Purple Patch guidance.
COACHING NOTES:

Purple Patch Pros: Building Team over Individual

In most individual sports, success is defined individually. We built the success of the Purple Patch Pro Squad by incorporating a team approach. Each athlete had their own goals, stage of development, and program, but a unified methodology, mindset, and system of support and accountability united them. Following the development in the initial years, from 2010 onwards, we saw a performance culture emerge, creating bi-directional benefits. Individual performance levels raised the standards and performance levels of the whole team, but it flowed back the other way. Individual athletes gained from the team structure and support. In addition to all this, younger athletes benefited from accelerated learning, support and experience gained from the power of leadership and mentorship. A virtuous performance circle emerged and fed on itself - building belief and results.

2011

Season of victories and podium finishes

A season-best haul of victories and podiums among the Purple Patch Pro Squad, with both male and female Purple Patch Pros enjoying equal success over the season.

Rachel Joyce becomes the first Purple Patch Professional World Champion, winning the ITU long Course World Championship. Also standing on the podium was Meredith Kessler in a wonderful 3rd place finish.
ITU Long Distance
World Championship

Henderson, Nevada, USA

Rachel Joyce - Champion (Women)

Meredith Kessler - 3rd Place (Women)

Ironman 70.3
World Championship

Henderson, Nevada, USA

Chris Lieto - 2nd Place (Men)

Linsey Corbin - 3rd Place (Women)

Emma Kate Lidbury - 8th Place (Women)

Luke Bell - 9th Place (Men)

Sami Inkinen - 1st in M35-39 Age Group

IRONMAN Wisconsin

Wisconsin, USA

Meredith Kessler - 2nd Place (Women)

IRONMAN Lanzarote

Lanzarote, Canary Islands

Rachel Joyce - Champion (Women)

IRONMAN Texas

The Woodlands, Texas, USA

Luke Bell - 3rd Place (Men)

IRONMAN Cozumel

Cozumel, Mexico

Tyler Stewart - 2nd Place (Women)

IRONMAN Lake Placid

Lake Placid, New York, USA

Tyler Stewart - 3rd Place (Women)

IRONMAN Canada

Penticton, British Columbia, Canada

Meredith Kessler - 3rd Place (Women)

Wildflower

Lake San Antonio, California, USA

Jesse Thomas - Winner (Men)

IRONMAN Texas 70.3

Galveston, Texas, USA

Chris Lieto - Champion (Men)

IRONMAN Hawaii 70.3

Hawaii, USA

Luke Bell - Champion (Men)

Chris Lieto - 2nd Place (Men)

Matt Lieto - 3rd Place (Men)

Sami Iniken - Champion (Overall Amateur)

IRONMAN Lake Stevens 70.3

Lake Stevens, Washington, USA

Luke Bell - Champion (Men)

Tyler Stewart - Champion (Women)

IRONMAN Pucon 70.3

Pucon, Chile

Linsey Corbin - Champion (Women)

IRONMAN Mallorca 70.3

Alcudia, Mallorca, Spain

Emma Kate Lidbury - Champion (Women)

IRONMAN UK 70.3

Bolton, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom

Emma Kate Lidbury - Champion (Women)

IRONMAN Eagleman 70.3

Cambridge, Maryland, United States

Tyler Stewart - 2nd Place (Women)

Boston Marathon

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Ryan Hall - 4th Place, fastest-ever marathon run by an American runner

2011

A prime case study for the Purple Patch methodology for time-starved athletes

Amateur Sami Inkinen wins the over amateur IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship and IRONMAN IRONMAN World Championship while also leading Trulia (a tech company) toward going public, on a training regime of about 10 to 12 hour per week.

2012

2011 Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships

Gina Crawford and Linsey Corbin lead the Purple Patch efforts at the 2011 Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships with 7th and 8th place, respectively. 

2012

IRONMAN 70.3 wins and podiums were in rich supply...

... with 18 recorded by the squad.

High performance for a time-starved athlete. Sami Inkinen, Tech Founder and COO, wins the overall amateur IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship and IRONMAN World Championship while adopting the Purple Patch Methodology and a training regime of only 10 hours of weekly training.
New Orleans 70.3

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Sarah Piampino - Champion (Women)

Ireland 70.3

Galway, Ireland

Rachel Joyce - 2nd Place (Women)

Kansas 70.3

Kansas, USA

Rachel Joyce - Champion (Women)

Vineman 70.3

California, USA

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Eagleman 70.3

Maryland, USA

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Augusta 70.3

Cozumel, Mexico

Emma Kate Lidbury - 2nd Place (Women)

IRONMAN Austria

Klagenfurt, Austria

Linsey Corbin - 1st Place (Women)

IRONMAN Coeur d'Alene

Idaho, USA

Meredith Kessler - 2nd Place (Women)

IRONMAN Arizona

Arizona, USA

Linsey Corbin - 2nd Place (Women)

Meredith Kessler - 3rd Place (Women)

IRONMAN Australia

Port Macquarie, Australia

Rachel Joyce - 2nd Place (Women)

Abu Dhabi International Triathlon

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Rasmus Henning - Overall Champion

IRONMAN New Zealand

Taupō, New Zealand

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Challenge Roth

Roth, Germany

Rachel Joyce - Champion (Women)

2013

IRONMAN World Championships

Three in the Top 10 at the Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships with 7th, 9th, and 10th for Meredith Kessler, Gina Crawford, and Linsey Corbin, respectively.

2013

IRONMAN 70.3
World Championships

 Strong finishes for Purple Patch Pros at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships, with Tim Reed securing 5th place and Kevin Collington just one place behind with a strong 6th place finish.

Meredith Kessler and Kevin Collington become US Pro Champions.  In the 70.3 distance, Meredith Kessler became US Pro Champion with a big win at the IRONMAN St George 70.3 Championships.

2013

Another Big Year for our
Purple Patch Pro Athletes in IRONMAN

Australia

New South Wales, Australia

Luke Bell - Champion (Men)

Mont-Tremblant

Quebec, Canada

Luke Bell - Champion (Men)

Linsey Corbin - Champion (Women)

New Zealand

Taupō, New Zealand

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Gina Crawford - 2nd place (Women)

Cairns

Cairns, Australia

Gina Crawford - 2nd place (Women)

St. George 70.3

St. George, Utah, USA

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Lake Stevens 70.3

St. George, Utah, USA

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Luke Bell - 2nd Place (Men)

Vineman 70.3

Sonoma County, California, USA

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Kansas 70.3

Lawrence, Kansas, USA

Emma Kate Lidbury - Champion (Women)

Canberra 70.3

Canberra, Autralia

Tim Reed - Champion (Men)

Steelhead 70.3

Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA

David Khan - Champion (Men)

Wildflower

Lake San Antonio, California, USA

Jesse Thomas - Champion (Men)

Pocono Challenge

Bushkill, Pennsylvania, USA

Jesse Thomas - Champion (Men)

2014

Published the Well Built Triathlete

Matt releases his first book for publication; The Well Built Triathlete. It quickly becomes one of the most popular books in triathlon, with its message of high performance built on a platform of health, as well as applied lessons in performance for amateur athletes, based in in the Purple Patch Methodology, as well as lessons from the Purple Patch Pro Squad

2014

The CEO of Every Man Jack

Ritch Viola achieves the highly impressive double - winning the 40-44 Age Group at both the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships and the IRONMAN Hawaii World Championships in the same season.  Highly impressive for a time-starved CEO of Every Man Jack.

Ritch Viola - Double World Champion as a father and CEO
COACHING NOTES:

The epitome of the ‘time-starved’ athlete

All three Purple Patch amateurs who secured overall age group wins at the Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships with C-Suite executives, founders of many organizations or business owners. They represented the epitome of the ‘time-starved’ athlete, and showcase how great individual performance can emerge from a smart and pragmatic approach to training, sport and supporting habits.

In addition to our Amateur World Champions, more than 1000 time-starved amateur Purple Patch athletes have qualified to World Championship events.

2014

Purple Patch athletes returns to
IRONMAN events

World Championships 70.3

Quebec, Canada

Meredith Kessler - 4th Place (Women)

Tim Reed - 7th Place (Men)

World Championships

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Gina Crawford - 8th place (Women)

New Zealand

Taupō, New Zealand

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Arizona

Arizona, USA

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Vineman 70.3

Sonoma County, California, USA

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Tim Reed - Champion (Men)

Challenge New Albany

New Albany, Ohio, USA

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Mont-Tremblant

Quebec, Canada

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Asia Pacific 70.3

Melbourne, Australia

Tim Reed - Champion (Men)

Buffalo Springs

Lubbock, Texas, USA

Tim Reed - Champion (Men)

Gold Coast 70.3

Australia

Tim Reed - Champion (Men)

Kansas 70.3

Lawrence, Kansas, USA

Emma Kate Lidbury - Champion (Women)

Canberra 70.3

Canberra, Autralia

Tim Reed - Champion (Men)

2014

The IRONMAN Executive Challenge Program

Matt Dixon and Purple Patch begins leading the coaching of the IMXC (IRONMAN Executive Challenge) program, building on our reputation of effectiveness leading both world class athletes and market-making C-Level executives. Purple Patch helped more than 50 leading executives from major organizations qualify to world championship events over the following years.

Sarah Piampiano enjoys a huge personal breakthrough with a 7th-place finish at the Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships.  She then claimed her first iRONMAN title a couple of months later with a victory at IRONMAN Western Australia.

COACHING NOTES:

High Performance never emerges without setbacks and adversity.

Sarah’s breakthrough performance at the World Championships, followed by her first IRONMAN victory, arrived following a serious setback just 18 months prior. Sarah endured a potentially career ending injury, breaking her femur (upper leg), and had to spend more than a year in rehabilitation.

They say it isn’t what happens to you that makes you a champion, but how you respond. Sarah leveraged the adversity to rebuild key elements of her technique, approach and mindset, forming the adversity into the catalyst to performance levels that were truly world-class. 

The Executive-Athletes have access to Matt Dixon and benefitted from the lessons and practices that fueled great results in sport and increased performance across personal and work life.
Sarah Piampiano Wins IRONMAN Western Australia just weeks after a 7th place at the Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships
2015

Purple Patch Pro Squad team approach shines.

After seasons of development and refinement, the team-approach applied for individual performance begins to reach its peak level, with a season of unprecedented wins and podiums across the Squad. The support, trust and accountability established through the team approach drives individual results to an even greater level.

2016

Holly Lawrence builds a strong platform

for her Pro career with three IRONMAN 70.3 wins and a 1st at the famed Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon.

2016

A Purple Patch IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion

with Tim Reed being crowned IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion with a victory in his home country. Fellow countryman and Purple Patch Pro Sam Appleton enjoys a breakout 5th place finish in the same event.

Tim Reed not only became
World Champion this year

but he also won IRONMAN Australia and 3 more IRONMAN 70.3 events. Sam Appleton continued his development with another cluster of podiums and victories, including the overall championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

Meredith Kessler marched on with two IRONMAN wins (New Zealand and Arizona), as well as two more IRONMAN 70.3 wins. 

Jesse Thomas doesn’t bore of continuing his wins at Wildflower Triathlon, but his big win comes at IRONMAN Lanzarote, beating legend and then current World Champion Jan Frodeno along the way.

2016

Mohamed Lahna wins...

against all odds, a bronze medal in PT Triathlon at the Rio Paralympic Games in Rio, Brazil. A huge breakthrough performance for this inspirational athlete.

2017

Published the Fast Track Triathlete

Matt’s second book, the Fast Track Triathlete, focuses on developing high performance within the context of a busy life. Drawn from the lessons of concurrently working with world-class pros and time-starved executives and CEOs, the Fast Track Triathlete quickly becomes an important guide for athletes seeking to achieve sporting goals while retaining good health and high performance in work and life.

2017

Purple Patch success

at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship continues with an impressive 4th place finish for Sam Appleton, including the fastest bike split of the day. Sam also became Asia Pacific Champion, as well as claiming victories at IRONMAN 70.3 Racine, Santa Rosa, Eagleman, and Geelong

Sarah Piampiano continues her drive to world-class performance with a win at IRONMAN Argentina, as well as multiple IRONMAN 70.3 victories.

Kevin Collington wins the Pan American 70.3 Championships and also wins IRONMAN Taiwan

2018

Sam Appleton represented well

with a hugely well-raced 6th place at the ever more competitive IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, as well as adding 3 more victories throughout the season at Geelong, Santa Rosa and Los Cabos 70.3 distance events.

2018

Meredith Kessler voted the greatest female American triathlete of All Time

From a background in banking, commencing the sport at 29 years of age, Meredith Kessler gets voted the greatest American triathlete of all time with 11 IRONMAN wins, 23 IRONMAN 70.3 victories over a storied career.

2019

Sarah Piampiano becomes the 2nd fastest Female American IRONMAN Triathlete ever...

with a superb title at IRONMAN Brazil.  Meanwhile, Jesse Thomas caps his retirement from professional triathlon with a stunning podium at Challenge Roth, capped off with a 2-hour and 52-minute run leg.

2019

An impressive year for Chelsea and Sam

From being on the verge of quitting the sport in frustration, Chelsea Sodaro joins Purple Patch and enjoys a breakout first season in her long course season. Chelsea secured 3 victories and 2 podiums across IRONMAN 70.3 events, followed by a 4th place finish at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships.

Sam Appleton had an equally impressive year with 3 wins,3 podiums, and a 6th place finish in the same championship event.

The Pillars of Performance

A shared foundation, applied in parallel to the performance journeys of elite pros and executives
has resulted in a refined approach and application of our methodology

COACHING NOTES:

Coach the Pros like CEOs; the CEOs like Pros

Throughout the entire journey with the Purple Patch Pro Squad, Matt Dixon remained committed to helping time-starved athletes not just achieve race goals but thrive in health and life. The lessons of the pro athlete journey were instrumental in developing the approach for time-starved athletes, but so was the experience of supporting and coaching C-Suite executives parallel to the professional athletes. 

As we always say, ‘Coach the Pros like CEOs; the CEOs like Pros’. More than a decade of working in parallel with world-class professional triathletes and leaders and market makers in major corporations provides a unique perspective on developing high performance in sport and life.

2020

Matt transitions to
the next chapter of
his coaching and performance leadership.

The shifting landscape of the pandemic years became a catalyst for Matt Dixon to shift his focus to leafing world-class athletes. He evolved toward a thought leadership role, and began to direct his expertise to greater focus on education and coaching time-starved athletes, C-Suite executives, and leadership teams.

The Grounding of the Story

2000 - 2004

Matt Dixon

Professional Triathlete. Adopted the mindset prevalent at the time - high work ethic, commitment and toughness. Components of performance such as recovery, strength and conditioning, and quality nutrition were mere afterthoughts, and undervalued (by Matt and many others chasing world class performance).

This is all despite Matt’s background as an elite swimmer, Division 1 swim coach and clinical physiologist

2004

The emergence of the methodology

Trying to adhere to a training program that included more than 30 weekly hours, all while failing to eat enough to fuel the training load, not embracing important recovery, and charging too hard in sessions designed to be easier and lower intensity.

His career ended in 2004, and in the following two years Matt had so much deep fatigue he couldn’t even exercise consistently, let alone train. 
This left him directionless and struggling both mentally and physically.

2005

Matt begins coaching athletes of all levels.

While reflecting on his journey and reviewing the landscape of the sport at all levels, Matt saw so many struggling with similar challenges. He felt the approach to endurance sports was broken, with so many athletes fully committed and training hard yet existing in a fog of fatigue.

Matt believed there was a better way and committed to an approach central to the Purple Patch method for the next 15+ years, which we label the Pillars of Performance. Based on practices and habits that deliver sustained high performance from a robust platform of health, it has facilitated Matt coaching people to the highest level of performance.

MD Coaching Notes:

The Purple Patch Mindset to High Performance

As you review below you will be a series of inspiring and exciting outcomes and results. We celebrated all the victories and are proud of our part we played in achieving them, but we never directly chased outcomes and results with our athletes. Our driving motivation and mindset was focused on the process of becoming. Each Pro committed to a long-term plan of development, chasing to be the best version of themselves and the best athlete they could become. But focusing on improving every day, whether that might mean how they handle setbacks, support another athlete, develop a tactic, or increase speed, we saw ongoing gains. By focusing on the journey, the results you see below took care of themselves. This is central to why we always remind athletes to embrace the journey. It is in the journey that the biggest rewards lie, and the best outcomes emerge from.

2006

The Early Years

After coaching her to the overall amateur title at the Hawaii IRONMAN, Tyler Stewart becomes the The first Purple Patch Pro. In 2007 Tyler recorded 2nd place at IRONMAN Lake Placid, as well as multiple podiums in Half IRONMAN distances to kickstart the journey.

MD Coaching Notes:

The initial years focused on individual athletes and cemented a unified approach with personalized programming for each athlete. It didn’t take long to realize the power of a team spirit, despite triathlon being an individual sport, and Matt fostered cameraderie and edcuation to align the approach and mindset of the pros

2007 - 2008

The Purple Patch Pro Squad forms...

with Matt taking on the development of young pros Lara Brown, Kelly Couch, James Cotter, Andrew Yoder and Matt Lieto. Positive results emerge, a performance culture develops, amplified by the fact that the methodology was vastly different than common mindsets and practices at the time.

While the Purple Patch Pro Squad focused less on total training hours, and more on hard work with integrated recovery over many months, others still view strength training and recovery as a waste of time and signs of weakness. The Purple Patch pro results begin to turn heads, as podiums and personal breakthroughs become the norm.

Matt Lieto was a cornerstone of the early Purple Patch Pro Squad bringing work ethic, collaboration and support. A culture setting presence.
2008

Individual Performances begin to shine

Chris Lieto joins Purple Patch after struggles at the prior IRONMAN World Championship events. Chris was brave enough to evolve ‘everything’ in his approach, despite Matt’s name being lesser known in the circles of well-known coaches. This included reducing total weekly training hours by ⅓, consuming an additional 1500 kcals daily, integrating consistent strength training, and embracing greater recovery blocks.

Chris’s training consistency improved; he experienced no injury setbacks and built confidence by feeling fit and fresh and able to elevate performance predictably.

Matt Lieto has a breakout performance at IRONMAN Canada, with a Top 3 finish while adopting a run-walk strategy on the run.  His run split was under 3 hours, a first for Matt, and his fastest miles came between the 20-26th mile markers.

Meanwhile, Tyler Steward won her first IRONMAN at Coeur d’Alene, and Purple Patch Pros accumulated over a dozen wins and podiums across IRONMAN 70.3 events.


2009

2nd Place Hawaii IRONMAN World Championship

Chris Lieto has a breakout season with several IRONMAN 70.3 victories, running faster than ever before, but the culmination of the performance shift arrives with a magical 2nd Place at the Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships. 

Rachel Joyce commences her Purple Patch pro Squad career with a breakout 6th place finish, while Tyler Stewart caps a super event for the team with 10th at the Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships.

Chris finishes the season with a 2nd place at IRONMAN Arizona, kick-starting a flurry of wins and podiums across athletes that would extend the next decade

The Purple Patch Pro Squad expands with the addition of amateur athletes Meredith Kessler and Jesse Thomas, who evolve to compete in the professional field. 

Meredith entered the pro field while maintaining her role at the Royal Bank of Canada - full-time work while chasing world-class performance - and quickly becoming a super example of achieving high personal performance within a time-starved life.

Her training approach required a healthy dose of pragmatism and led to the emergence of the Purple Patch saying, focusing on securing your  ‘ best performance within the context of life.’

Coaching Notes:

Purple Patch Pro Squad

The Purple Patch Pro Squad provided enduring lessons on achieving sustained high performance, and became the living laboratory for the ongoing evolution of the Purple Patch Methodology. Our parallel success of time-starved athletes, as well as countless C-Suite executives, emerged from the ability to put these lessons into context for the individual athlete, and adapt to suit their needs and situation. This was how the Purple Patch Methdology went on the serve such a broad range of athletes, from world class to those who just chased improved energy, health and performance in life and business.

2010

Undisputed King of the Wildflower Triathlon

Racing on a borrowed bike (thanks to fellow PPF Pro Matt Lieto), with no sponsored kit and now legendary cheap aviator glasses, Jesse ran through the field to the win. This initial victory kick-started his professional career, as well as a run of record-setting victories at this race. Six wins in a row have never been accomplished before, and over those victories, Jesse beath some of the best-known names in the sport of triathlon.

Rookie Pro Jesse Thomas stuns the triathlon world with an overall win at the famous Wildflower Triathlon.

Rachel Joyce marches up the list of world-class athletes with an impressive 5th-place finish at the Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships. The Squad expands with the addition of Gina Crawford, Luke Bell, and Emma Kate Lidbury.

Rachel Joyce secured 6th, 5th, and 4th place at the Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships, won Challenge Roth, and became ITU Long Course World Champion under Purple Patch guidance

Podiums come flooding in over the year, led by Linsey Corbin’s victory at IRONMAN Couer d’Alene, followed by a 2nd place at IRONMAN Arizona; Meredith Kessler continues her time-starved approach with a dominant win at IRONMAN Canada as well as a strong 2nd place at IRONMAN St George. Other notable races with Chris Lieto 1st and Andrew Yoder 3rd at IRONMAN 70.3 Kansas, and Luke Bell claiming 2nd, with Matt Lieto 3rd at the Hawaii IRONMAN 70.3

Linsey Corbin victorious at 2010 IRONMAN Coeur d’Alene - in her signature cowgirl hat
Coaching Notes:

Purple Patch Pros: Building Team over Individual

The Purple Patch Pro Squad provided enduring lessons on achieving sustained high performance, and became the living laboratory for the ongoing evolution of the Purple Patch Methodology. Our parallel success of time-starved athletes, as well as countless C-Suite executives, emerged from the ability to put these lessons into context for the individual athlete, and adapt to suit their needs and situation. This was how the Purple Patch Methdology went on the serve such a broad range of athletes, from world class to those who just chased improved energy, health and performance in life and business.

2011

Season of victories and podium finishes

A season-best haul of victories and podiums among the Purple Patch Pro Squad, with both male and female Purple Patch Pros enjoying equal success over the season.

Rachel Joyce becomes the first Purple Patch Professional World Champion, winning the ITU long Course World Championship. Also standing on the podium was Meredith Kessler in a wonderful 3rd place finish.
ITU Long Distance
World Championship

Henderson, Nevada, USA

Rachel Joyce - Champion (Women)

Meredith Kessler - 3rd Place (Women)

Ironman 70.3
World Championship

Henderson, Nevada, USA

Chris Lieto - 2nd Place (Men)

Linsey Corbin - 3rd Place (Women)

Emma Kate Lidbury - 8th Place (Women)

Luke Bell - 9th Place (Men)

Sami Inkinen - 1st in M35-39 Age Group

IRONMAN Wisconsin

Wisconsin, USA

Meredith Kessler - 2nd Place (Women)

IRONMAN Lanzarote

Lanzarote, Canary Islands

Rachel Joyce - Champion (Women)

IRONMAN Texas

The Woodlands, Texas, USA

Luke Bell - 3rd Place (Men)

IRONMAN Cozumel

Cozumel, Mexico

Tyler Stewart - 2nd Place (Women)

IRONMAN Lake Placid

Lake Placid, New York, USA

Tyler Stewart - 3rd Place (Women)

IRONMAN Canada

Penticton, British Columbia, Canada

Meredith Kessler - 3rd Place (Women)

Wildflower

Lake San Antonio, California, USA

Jesse Thomas - Winner (Men)

IRONMAN Texas 70.3

Galveston, Texas, USA

Chris Lieto - Champion (Men)

IRONMAN Hawaii 70.3

Hawaii, USA

Luke Bell - Champion (Men)

Chris Lieto - 2nd Place (Men)

Matt Lieto - 3rd Place (Men)

Sami Iniken - Champion (Overall Amateur)

IRONMAN Lake Stevens 70.3

Lake Stevens, Washington, USA

Luke Bell - Champion (Men)

Tyler Stewart - Champion (Women)

IRONMAN Pucon 70.3

Pucon, Chile

Linsey Corbin - Champion (Women)

IRONMAN Mallorca 70.3

Alcudia, Mallorca, Spain

Emma Kate Lidbury - Champion (Women)

IRONMAN UK 70.3

Bolton, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom

Emma Kate Lidbury - Champion (Women)

IRONMAN Eagleman 70.3

Cambridge, Maryland, United States

Tyler Stewart - 2nd Place (Women)

Boston Marathon

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Ryan Hall - 4th Place, fastest-ever marathon run by an American runner

2011

A prime case study for the Purple Patch methodology for time-starved athletes

Amateur Sami Inkinen wins the over amateur IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship and IRONMAN IRONMAN World Championship while also leading Trulia (a tech company) toward going public, on a training regime of about 10 to 12 hour per week.

High performance for a time-starved athlete. Sami Inkinen, Tech Founder and COO, wins the overall amateur IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship and IRONMAN World Championship while adopting the Purple Patch Methodology and a training regime of only 10 hours of weekly training.
2011

2011 Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships

Gina Crawford and Linsey Corbin lead the Purple Patch efforts at the 2011 Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships with 7th and 8th place, respectively. 

2012

IRONMAN 70.3 wins and podiums were in rich supply...

... with 18 recorded by the squad.

New Orleans 70.3

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Sarah Piampino - Champion (Women)

Ireland 70.3

Galway, Ireland

Rachel Joyce - 2nd Place (Women)

Kansas 70.3

Kansas, USA

Rachel Joyce - Champion (Women)

Vineman 70.3

California, USA

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Eagleman 70.3

Maryland, USA

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Augusta 70.3

Cozumel, Mexico

Emma Kate Lidbury - 2nd Place (Women)

IRONMAN Austria

Klagenfurt, Austria

Linsey Corbin - 1st Place (Women)

IRONMAN Coeur d'Alene

Idaho, USA

Meredith Kessler - 2nd Place (Women)

IRONMAN Arizona

Arizona, USA

Linsey Corbin - 2nd Place (Women)

Meredith Kessler - 3rd Place (Women)

IRONMAN Australia

Port Macquarie, Australia

Rachel Joyce - 2nd Place (Women)

Abu Dhabi International Triathlon

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Rasmus Henning - Overall Champion

IRONMAN New Zealand

Taupō, New Zealand

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Challenge Roth

Roth, Germany

Rachel Joyce - Champion (Women)

2013

IRONMAN World Championships

Three in the Top 10 at the Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships with 7th, 9th, and 10th for Meredith Kessler, Gina Crawford, and Linsey Corbin, respectively.

2013

IRONMAN 70.3
World Championships

Strong finishes for Purple Patch Pros at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships, with Tim Reed securing 5th place and Kevin Collington just one place behind with a strong 6th place finish.

Meredith Kessler and Kevin Collington become US Pro Champions.  In the 70.3 distance, Meredith Kessler became US Pro Champion with a big win at the IRONMAN St George 70.3 Championships.

2013

Another Big Year for our Purple Patch Pro Athletes in IRONMAN

New Orleans 70.3

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Sarah Piampino - Champion (Women)

Ireland 70.3

Galway, Ireland

Rachel Joyce - 2nd Place (Women)

Kansas 70.3

Kansas, USA

Rachel Joyce - Champion (Women)

Vineman 70.3

California, USA

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Eagleman 70.3

Maryland, USA

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Augusta 70.3

Cozumel, Mexico

Emma Kate Lidbury - 2nd Place (Women)

IRONMAN Austria

Klagenfurt, Austria

Linsey Corbin - 1st Place (Women)

IRONMAN Coeur d'Alene

Idaho, USA

Meredith Kessler - 2nd Place (Women)

IRONMAN Arizona

Arizona, USA

Linsey Corbin - 2nd Place (Women)

Meredith Kessler - 3rd Place (Women)

IRONMAN Australia

Port Macquarie, Australia

Rachel Joyce - 2nd Place (Women)

Abu Dhabi International Triathlon

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Rasmus Henning - Overall Champion

IRONMAN New Zealand

Taupō, New Zealand

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Challenge Roth

Roth, Germany

Rachel Joyce - Champion (Women)

2014

Published the Well Built Triathlete

Matt releases his first book for publication; The Well Built Triathlete. It quickly becomes one of the most popular books in triathlon, with its message of high performance built on a platform of health, as well as applied lessons in performance for amateur athletes, based in in the Purple Patch Methodology, as well as lessons from the Purple Patch Pro Squad

2014

The CEO of Every Man Jack

Ritch Viola achieves the highly impressive double - winning the 40-44 Age Group at both the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships and the IRONMAN Hawaii World Championships in the same season.  Highly impressive for a time-starved CEO of Every Man Jack.

Ritch Viola - Double World Champion as a father and CEO
Coaching Notes:

The epitome of the ‘time-
starved’ athlete

All three Purple Patch amateurs who secured overall age group wins at the Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships with C-Suite executives, founders of many organizations or business owners. They represented the epitome of the ‘time-starved’ athlete, and showcase how great individual performance can emerge from a smart and pragmatic approach to training, sport and supporting habits. In addition to our Amateur World Champions, more than 1000 time-starved amateur Purple Patch athletes have qualified to World Championship events.

2014

Purple Patch athletes returns to IRONMAN
events

World Championships 70.3

Quebec, Canada

Meredith Kessler - 4th Place (Women)

Tim Reed - 7th Place (Men)

World Championships

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Gina Crawford - 8th place (Women)

New Zealand

Taupō, New Zealand

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Arizona

Arizona, USA

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Vineman 70.3

Sonoma County, California, USA

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Tim Reed - Champion (Men)

Challenge New Albany

New Albany, Ohio, USA

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Mont-Tremblant

Quebec, Canada

Meredith Kessler - Champion (Women)

Asia Pacific 70.3

Melbourne, Australia

Tim Reed - Champion (Men)

Buffalo Springs

Lubbock, Texas, USA

Tim Reed - Champion (Men)

Gold Coast 70.3

Australia

Tim Reed - Champion (Men)

Kansas 70.3

Lawrence, Kansas, USA

Emma Kate Lidbury - Champion (Women)

Canberra 70.3

Canberra, Autralia

Tim Reed - Champion (Men)

2014

The IRONMAN Executive Challenge Program

Matt Dixon and Purple Patch begins leading the coaching of the IMXC (IRONMAN Executive Challenge) program, building on our reputation of effectiveness leading both world class athletes and market-making C-Level executives. Purple Patch helped more than 50 leading executives from major organizations qualify to world championship events over the following years.

The Executive-Athletes have access to Matt Dixon and benefitted from the lessons and practices that fueled great results in sport and increased performance across personal and work life.

Sarah Piampiano enjoys a huge personal breakthrough with a 7th-place finish at the Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships.  She then claimed her first iRONMAN title a couple of months later with a victory at IRONMAN Western Australia.

Sarah Piampiano Wins IRONMAN Western Australia just weeks after a 7th place at the Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships
Coaching Notes:

High Performance never emerges without setbacks and adversity.

Sarah’s breakthrough performance at the World Championships, followed by her first IRONMAN victory, arrived following a serious setback just 18 months prior. Sarah endured a potentially career ending injury, breaking her femur (upper leg), and had to spend more than a year in rehabilitation. They say it isn’t what happens to you that makes you a champion, but how you respond. Sarah leveraged the adversity to rebuild key elements of her technique, approach and mindset, forming the adversity into the catalyst to performance levels that were truly world-class.

2015

Purple Patch Pro Squad team approach shines.

After seasons of development and refinement, the team-approach applied for individual performance begins to reach its peak level, with a season of unprecedented wins and podiums across the Squad. The support, trust and accountability established through the team approach drives individual results to an even greater level.

Tim Reed

Champion - Asia Pacific Championships 70.3

Champion - Port Macquarie 70.3

Champion - Philippines 70.3

Champion - Subic Bay 70.3

2nd Place - Challenge Dubai

3rd Place - New Orleans 70.3

2nd Place - Vietnam 70.3

4th Place - St. George 70.3

3rd Place - Cairns 70.3

Meredith Kessler

Champion - Asia Pacific Championships 70.3

Champion -New Zealand

Champion - Arizona

Champion - Subic Bay 70.3

Champion - Vineman 70.3

Champion - Rev3 Williamsburg

Champion - Raleigh

Champion - Taupō 70.3

Meredith Kessler

Champion - Huskisson Long Course

Champion - Challenge Batemans Bay

Champion - Busselton 70.3

Champion - Cairns 70.3

Champion - Vineman 70.3

Champion - Austin 70.3

2nd Place - Geelong 70.3

Jesse Thomas

Champion - IRONMAN Wales

Champion - Wildflower Triathlon

2016

Holly Lawrence builds a strong platform

for her Pro career with three IRONMAN 70.3 wins and a 1st at the famed Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon.

2016

A high day out at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships

with Tim Reed being crowned IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion with a victory in his home country.  Fellow countryman and Purple Patch Pro Sam Appleton enjoys a breakout 5th place finish in the same event. 

Tim Reed not only became
World Champion this year

but he also won IRONMAN Australia and 3 more IRONMAN 70.3 events.  Sam Appleton continued his development with another cluster of podiums and victories, including the overall championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

Meredith Kessler marched on with two IRONMAN wins (New Zealand and Arizona), as well as two more IRONMAN 70.3 wins.
  
Jesse Thomas doesn’t bore of continuing his wins at Wildflower Triathlon, but his big win comes at IRONMAN Lanzarote, beating legend and then current World Champion Jan Frodeno along the way.

2016

Mohamed Lahna wins...

against all odds, a bronze medal in PT Triathlon at the Rio Paralympic Games in Rio, Brazil. A huge breakthrough performance for this inspirational athlete.

2017

Published the Fast Track Triathlete

Matt’s second book, the Fast Track Triathlete, focuses on developing high performance within the context of a busy life. Drawn from the lessons of concurrently working with world-class pros and time-starved executives and CEOs, the Fast Track Triathlete quickly becomes an important guide for athletes seeking to achieve sporting goals while retaining good health and high performance in work and life.

2017

Purple Patch success

at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship continues with an impressive 4th place finish for Sam Appleton, including the fastest bike split of the day. Sam also became Asia Pacific Champion, as well as claiming victories at IRONMAN 70.3 Racine, Santa Rosa, Eagleman, and Geelong

Sarah Piampiano continues her drive to world-class performance with a win at IRONMAN Argentina, as well as multiple IRONMAN 70.3 victories.

Kevin Collington wins the Pan American 70.3 Championships and also wins IRONMAN Taiwan

2018

Sam Appleton represented well

with a hugely well-raced 6th place at the ever more competitive IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, as well as adding 3 more victories throughout the season at Geelong, Santa Rosa and Los Cabos 70.3 distance events.

2018

Meredith Kessler voted the greatest female American triathlete of All Time

From a background in banking, commencing the sport at 29 years of age, Meredith Kessler gets voted the greatest American triathlete of all time with 11 IRONMAN wins, 23 IRONMAN 70.3 victories over a storied career.

2019

Sarah Piampiano becomes the 2nd fastest Female American IRONMAN Triathlete ever...

with a superb title at IRONMAN Brazil.  Meanwhile, Jesse Thomas caps his retirement from professional triathlon with a stunning podium at Challenge Roth, capped off with a 2-hour and 42-minute run leg.

2019

An impressive year for Chelsea and Sam

Chelsea Sodaro marks a breakout year as a Purple Patch Pro with 3 victories and 2 podiums in IRONMAN 70.3 races, followed by a 4th place finish at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in Nice, France.

Sam Appleton had an equally impressive year with 3 wins,3 podiums, and a 6th place finish in the same championship event.

The Pillars of Performance

A shared foundation, applied in parallel to the performance journeys of elite pros and executives

has resulted in a refined approach and application of our methodology

MD Coaching Notes:

The Purple Patch Mindset to High Performance

As you review below you will be a series of inspiring and exciting outcomes and results. We celebrated all the victories and are proud of our part we played in achieving them, but we never directly chased outcomes and results with our athletes. Our driving motivation and mindset was focused on the process of becoming. Each Pro committed to a long-term plan of development, chasing to be the best version of themselves and the best athlete they could become. But focusing on improving every day, whether that might mean how they handle setbacks, support another athlete, develop a tactic, or increase speed, we saw ongoing gains. By focusing on the journey, the results you see below took care of themselves. This is central to why we always remind athletes to embrace the journey. It is in the journey that the biggest rewards lie, and the best outcomes emerge from. CheersMatt

2020

Matt transitions to the next chapter of his coaching and performance leadership.

The shifting landscape of the pandemic years became a catalyst for Matt Dixon to shift his focus to leafing world-class athletes. He evolved toward a thought leadership role, and began to direct his expertise to greater focus on education and coaching time-starved athletes, C-Suite executives, and leadership teams.

View photo credits