Tony Lester

Tony Lester grew up in East London, developing an early interest in athletics. He entered the Army at the age of 18 and continued to train and compete at national level over 100 and 200 metres. He achieved the rank of Warrant Officer and saw active service in Northern Ireland and the first Gulf War. During the latter years of his military service he undertook coaching qualifications, and on leaving the Army in 1991 began coaching some of Britain’s top athletes. Since 2000 he has been employed full time by UK Athletics and has excelled as a coach in the high performance environment of International Athletics for more than thirteen years.

Tony has coached six athletes to Olympic and World Championship medals and a further two to finals at this elite level. This has included  400 metre stars Roger Black, Mark Richardson and in more recent times athletes such as Marlon Devonish, Tim Benjamin, Abi Oyepitan, and World silver medallist Nicola Sanders. Added to that his athletes have consistently been at the top of the UK rankings and set the standard in a gruelling competitive environment where success is measured in hundredths of a second. Outside of athletics he has provided specialist coaching to Rugby Union clubs, International Rugby players and provided individual coaching for premiership football players.

Tony has in more recent times began to develop and grow a performance coaching portfolio, working with clients from the corporate environment. This is a proven match and fit, where the rigours and planning of elite level sport runs a similar parallel to the demands and pressure of the corporate executive’s lifestyle.

Tony’s commitment to high performance continues as he prepares some of the current crop of British talent for the challenge of his fourth and possibly his most important Olympics in London in 2012.

“I am writing to thank you for the participation at the Future Leaders Community event at BT. It was pitched at the correct level audience.  It was really appreciated that as well as your presentation you spent time speaking with people over lunch which I know they will have valued.”

HR Manager, BT

“In recent years, Tony Lester has proved to be a valuable asset to my athletics career as a coach, mentor and friend. Notably, during my Olympic preparation in 2000, what I can only describe to be a “sticky patch”, when my hurdles and sprinting were not going particularly well, Tony’s guidance enabled me to turn things around. Tony’s enthusiasm and love for the sport is evident by the way he dedicates so much of his time and energy to some of Britain’s finest athletes. For me, it is a pleasure working with someone who is honest and frank, during good and bad times and who is equally driven in the pursuit of excellence.”

Denise Lewis OBE; Olympic Heptathlon gold medal (2000), bronze (1996); World Championship silver (1999 &1997); European Championship gold (1998); Commonwealth Games gold (1998 &1994).

“I have known Tony Lester since 1985 as a friend, training partner and coach. In 1996 I won the Olympic silver Medal for the 400m in Atlanta-I would not have achieved this without the specialist coaching input that Tony gave me between 1994 and 1998. In order to become a good coach in the world of sport you need commitment, knowledge, passion, stability and a degree of selflessness, since it is the athlete who must be the coach’s priority. Tony has all these qualities yet he is not a good coach. In my opinion Tony Lester is an outstanding coach, since he has certain qualities that enable him to help all his athletes fulfill their potential- he is eager to learn from others; to better himself as a coach and to set new high standards for both himself and his athletes. The quality of his present training group speaks for itself. I would (and do) recommend Tony Lester to anyone who wants to run as fast as they possibly can!”

Roger Black, MBE.