Teachers Enthusiastic to go beyond

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It speaks volumes of both the positive impact of Run Beyond and the generous spirit of our volunteer teachers that so many walked away from our recent Teacher Training Day using words such as “excited” and “can’t wait” to refer to their feelings about a program that they will be implementing in their own time.

The event, on Friday, 26 March was the third annual training day, and it equipped 12 teachers from 9 schools with the knowledge and capabilities to implement The Run Beyond Project in their settings.

Representatives from Coonamble High School, Gorokan High School, Lightning Ridge High School, Northlakes High School, Orara High School, Penola Catholic College, Riverstone High School and The Ponds High School attended the day, and gained an understanding of the historical development of Run Beyond and the entire process of the program from student selection, through commencement and implementation of the practical and theoretical components, to the Goal Race, graduation and evaluation.

Teachers, stakeholders and Run Beyond directors at the Teacher Training Day, 2021.

Numerous stakeholders including  Bruce Inglis from the Sydney Striders, Renee Pilley from our Here to Be partner lululemon, Suzanne Kelly from the Kelly Family Foundation, also attended the day to gain a greater insight into the program and to network with our teachers. Directors Jonothan Fletcher of Running Science and David Hazlewood from Knightswood House talked briefly too, giving everyone present further insight into how behind-the-scenes work has a great impact at the student level.

Feedback from all guests and teachers was overwhelmingly positive, with guest stakeholders commenting on the “enthusiasm from the teachers”. Grant Clowes of Northlakes High School exclaimed “we are excited to get things started.” Lauren Davis of Gulgong also stated “I am really excited about the program this year,” and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to network with others implementing in 2021.

Expert advice on injury prevention and management was provided by Pete Colagiuri from Bioathletic, our physiotherapy partner. Participants all agreed they learnt a lot from his “brilliant” advice, which we have been fortunate to have since the program’s inception.

We were also fortunate to have our photography partner, Paul McMillan, attend and take some high-quality snaps. Paul has been a great asset since joining the Run Beyond team last year and we look forward to working with him more in future.

Maximus International generously provided the perfect venue for the event at their Sydney headquarters on Jones Bay Wharf, for which we are extremely grateful.

With the training now behind us, look forward to some exciting stories in the near future as our inspired teachers inspire some wonderful young people to go beyond.

Want to be part of the journey or to share your story with us? Get in touch!

This year has seen Run Beyond help more and more children, with 25 schools participating.  Graduates now total 413, 96 of these being of ATSI background, 49 refugee background and 20 from out of home care.

Schools have participated in Goal Races from Perth to Darwin, NSW and Victoria and we have seen some great team building with multiple schools sharing the same Goal Race. In September Kanahooka High School, Lake Munmorah High School, Lightning Ridge Central School, Northlakes High Schooland Queanbeyan High Schools all successfully competed in the Sydney Marathon 10km. For many of these kids it was thier first trip to Sydney and an amazing experience for them.

Keep your eyes out in November as we again have 5 schools sharing a Goal Race. Doonside Technology High School, Dunedoo Central School, Lomandra School, Riverstone High School and Windsor High School will all be tackling the Husky Running Festival in Huskisson, NSW. It will be a fabulous weekend and if you are around go and give the kids a cheer on!

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