Philip Billikopf

It's incredible, but with his help, I participated in two Ironman World Championships (140.6 & 70.3), set back-to-back half marathon personal records, and am presently working on a PR in the full Ironman race. Coach Philip is continually monitoring my performance and giving me timely and helpful feedback for my growth. His training regimen fits in nicely with my busy family and professional life. Philip's coaching focuses on both the physical and mental aspects of the sport, assisting me in developing the mindset that has allowed me to compete to the best of my abilities and to have huge dreams. On top of that, being a member of a top-tier team like Mauna has given me even more inspiration, support, camaraderie, and competitive pleasure.

– Carlos Salgado

Having access to a community of people so experienced and passionate about triathlon has made what used to feel like a daunting undertaking really welcoming and exciting. Philip is an incredibly attentive and kind coach whose personalized advice and training plans have allowed me to gain knowledge and skills that are usually only learned through years of experience and hard work. Philip’s coaching has taken the typical period of guesswork and inevitable beginner mistakes out of the equation for me in my journey- allowing me to focus on training and hard work. In October of last year, I purchased my first bicycle, and by October of this year I will be at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships- all thanks to Philip and the Mauna community!

– Mika Halinski

He saw potential in me and motivated me to establish goals I never before thought I could reach. With hard work and Philip’s dedication as a coach I’ve reached those goals, qualified for Ironman 70.3 World Championship and continue to reach new PRs. I love working with Philip, his knowledge and passion for triathlon is hard to top.

- Melanie Henderson

As I decided to give triathlon a go almost two years ago, I started training with Philip. Given I am based in Australia and Philip in California, I was a bit concerned in terms of responsiveness and overall experience due to the huge time difference. The athlete training plan customisation and tailored approach Philip provides, combined with his closeness to follow your process is truly unique. Being a father, full-time employee, and triathlete can be tough to juggle at times, hence the importance of the flexibility and responsiveness from Philip. The passion he shares for the sport, being a top athlete himself, along with the great guidance in racing strategies and confidence boosters when the nerves hit, are game changers! Three 70.3 races done, one full Ironman completed and one 70.3 WC qualification is what I have been able to accomplish with Philip, considering I had no triathlon background except a couple of half marathons in the past.

- David Reyes

He has taught me how to become a triathlete and has influenced many aspects of my daily routine that have helped me evolve as a person. With only five races in my triathlon experience, I was able to qualify for back-to-back 70.3 World Championship and race my first Ironman race, which was luckily also the 2021 IM World Championship. Philip goes beyond the coaching scope and helps his athletes navigate daily life, work, and family duties and improve weekly. His flexibility has allowed me to maintain my training routine with family, trips, and demanding job schedules. Even though I have been an athlete my whole life and have been an endurance athlete for some years now, in these almost 24 months, I have seen an exponential improvement in my metrics. In the bike, going from an FTP of 260 to 314, in the run from 9 min/mile to 7 min/mile, and achieving my first sub 5 in a 70.3 race.

- Nicolás Calderon