Martin Spierings competed in his first triathlon in Port Melbourne, Australia in 1989 at the age of 12, when there were no coaches or junior programs. Self-coached using a well worn copy of Dave Scott's Triathlon Training, he used the athletes and resources around him to devise his own training plans in this new sport. He followed his interests in Exercise Physiology majoring in Physiology and Psychology as part of a Bachelor of Science/Arts at the University of Melbourne. He participated as a subject in many PhD studies on carbohydrate metabolism at the exercise physiology lab on campus and learned from the top amateur Australian triathletes and sports scientists residing there at the time .