About Coach Pam Nayler | All Performance Training

About Pam Naylor

I was born and raised in Eureka, CA, and at the age of eight, I joined the Redwood Swim Club and longed to be in the pool every day. Growing up as a competitive swimmer opened many doors and gave me opportunities and experiences I otherwise may not have discovered. Being on the swim team at Willamette University and majoring in Exercise Science with an emphasis in Sports Medicine, and a minor in psychology and Spanish provided me with the first experience of being an assistant coach and training others. In college, sports psychology intrigued me. Combining the Exercise Science and Psychology together led me to my senior thesis paper on the Psychophysiology of Visualization. Experiencing first hand the positive effects of mental imagery, I gained a huge appreciation for how much our mind plays an undeniable part in sport performances and our ability to push beyond what we think and perceive our limits to be.

After college I became a personal trainer and earned several advanced certifications. I decided to try a triathlon in 2007 with a fellow client who had hired me to help her with her swim stroke technique. After winning the triathlon and having a blast, I was hooked! In 2009 I went to the Age Group World Triathlon Championships in Australia where I was the second fastest American woman, placed 17th out of 630 women, and was 6th in my age group with the fastest bike split. In 2010 I went on to win the Chicago International Triathlon and earned my Pro Card. I competed as a pro for a few years focusing on the Olympic triathlon distance. The transition from top amateur to bottom level pro was tough. Regrettably, I didn’t take the “leap of faith” to go “all in” to try and turn my job into being that of a full-time professional triathlete. I instead tried to train while having a full-time job as a personal trainer. This made it difficult to advance in the pro rankings.

After a few years of being a professional triathlete, I focused my efforts into becoming a better personal trainer and a triathlon coach. I wanted to help make the dreams of other athletes come true and help them push their limits beyond what they thought possible. In the process of doing so, I too decided to try to push my own limits and attempt what I thought was impossible for myself - an Ironman distance triathlon. I always thought, “Why the heck would anyone want to go that far and why would anyone want to run a marathon after swimming 2.4 miles and biking 112 miles?! That is just CRAZY!” I had always told myself that if I ever ran a marathon, then I might as well try an Ironman since I grew up as a swimmer and had done century bike rides. In-between hanging up my Pro Triathlete Card, getting married in 2014 and having my first daughter in 2015, I decided to train for Ironman Coeur d’Alene in 2016 to simply complete the distance. To my surprise I didn’t just finish it, I ended up winning my age group, taking 5th overall, and qualifying for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. Seven weeks later I was at the starting line in Kona. “WAIT, WHAT…. I thought I told myself I would never do an Ironman, and now I am doing two within seven weeks of each other and I am in Kona? UNBELIEVALBE!”

My performance in Kona was extremely memorable and one that I will cherish forever. It taught me a huge lesson in perseverance. I woke up with the flu the first morning in Kona. It completely zapped my energy, but I was determined to still participate and complete the race. It was a golden opportunity in which I had to seize and make the most of, even if it meant not having a race like I had hoped or planned. It was a race I would finish by overcoming the most extreme conditions I have ever been faced with during a triathlon.

Being a competitive athlete shaped who I am and how I live my life to this day; a life of balance. I balanced being a full-time working mother to train for two Ironmans which I never thought possible. After Kona I had my second daughter in 2017. After she was born, I trained and completed the 2019 Boston Marathon and also went on to set personal best half marathon and marathon times later that year. How is that possible while being a Mom and personal trainer? It is all about balance, going after your dreams and never giving up on them no matter how far-fetched they may seem, hard work, perseverance, and having fun while doing what you love.

In July 2020, I created All Performance Training because coaching is my passion. In September 2021 my husband and I were blessed with a son. I am energized and motivated to help you train specifically to reach your dreams, surpass your perceivable limits, and help you believe more in yourself.
In August 2022, I started working with the Cal Poly Humboldt Women's Triathlon Team as the Assistant Coach. No dream is too small or impossible.

Let me help you through my knowledge, expertise, and experience to make your dreams a reality. Whether your dreams are to simply live a healthier lifestyle or hike up a favorite mountain, compete and be the best in your sport, or go after an Olympic dream, let me help pave the way! Start on your individualized path today with me at All Performance Training.