Having joined the staff at Edgeborough School at the start of the 2019-20 academic year, prep teacher Barney Gray is pushing through Covid-19 to set up a triathlon club for the school and local community.
Gray is highly involved in the world of triathlon. A member of the Great Britain Age-Group Team, Level 2 qualified coach, Technical Official, and is now setting up his third triathlon club having set up clubs at two of his previous schools.
“The club will be for the whole community, bringing adults and children together in one local club,” Gray said. “I’m keen to run GO TRI events and help introduce more and more people into the sport.
“I established a community club in 2013 called Tri-High Multisports Club, which comprised of children and adults from the local community and schools. I hosted numerous triathlons including some GO TRIs and the adult section is still going today.
“I joined the Edgeborough School community in September 2019 and the plan was to formally establish a club at the school at the start of the summer term, but Covid struck.”
Despite Covid-19 meaning a suspension of triathlon activity across Britain, Gray has continued to work hard to get the club set up and help the local community to stay active whilst at home.
“My philosophy is ‘desire to inspire’ and I try to inspire by leading by example,” commented Gray.
“Edgeborough takes sport seriously and seriously supports sport for all, so I feel that the lifelong skills of swimming, cycling and running will support everyone whatever their passions and strengths may be.
“From the start of Covid, I was keen to inspire the Edgeborough and Tri-High communities to take on challenges and to get out and about being physically active despite the restrictions.”
Gray has set multiple exercise challenges during lockdown including a virtual ironman challenge, mountain stair climbing challenge, VE Day 75 challenges and swimming marathon challenge amongst others, however, still has his eyes set on the ultimate prize of setting up the club.
“It has been very frustrating as we head towards September and we have yet to establish the Tri-High Edgeborough community,” he added. “There’s so much to look forward to and I can’t wait to get it all up and running.
“Hosting triathlon events at the school, taking pupils to other school triathlon events, supporting potential athletes to specific competitions, seeing first timers finishing a race with a smile on their face, a parent doing a GO TRI having been inspired by seeing their children in action or just being able to give advice to anyone who needs it.”
