One Step Beyond Coaches and History

Marty Gaal started coaching swimmers and triathletes informally in the mid 1990s. Since 2002 he has worked professionally with twenty to thirty athletes each year to help them achieve their athletic goals. Marty left his day job to focus entirely on endurance coaching in 2005. He is a NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), USA Triathlon coach, nationally registered Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT-B), and is a member of the American Swim Coaches Association. Marty swam for Florida State University and remains competitive as an age-group triathlete, open water swimmer, and runner. Email Marty here.

Brianne Gaal has been coaching since 2006. Brianne (Bri) has been a competitive runner and triathlete since she was eight years old. She was a multiple state champion in track and cross country in high school, ran for the University of Central Florida, and has been a USA Triathlon All-American each year since 2003. She is a certified USA Triathlon coach. Bri works with a smaller number of athletes each season because Marty has not let her quit her day job yet. Click Bri's name to read more about her and her coaching philosophy. Email Bri here.

We coach age-group athletes at all levels along the spectrum - from pure beginners just getting off the couch, to advanced age-group athletes training for World Championship events. We enjoy both the pure results driven aspects of coaching relationships as well as the teaching and education that helps our athletes grow as competitors and individuals.

In addition to triathlon & swim coaching, One Step Beyond is the producer of the Powerstroke®: Speed through force and form freestyle swimming technique DVD and co-hosts the Triangle Open Water Swim Series.