Harries hurries home
Olympic medallist visits former Chichester school that inspired him to be an athlete.
Christmas came early to pupils at Westbourne House School with a visit from Sussex-born Olympic sprinter, Toby Harries.
“I came back to my old school to share my Olympic experience with the children and hopefully inspire them to follow their dreams,” Toby, 25, said.
Toby joined Westbourne House School, Chichester, in the nursery in 2003 and he left in the Summer 2012, after completing Year 8. Little did he know that 12 years later he would be making his Olympic Games debut in Paris as part of the Team GB Men’s 4x400m relay team and bringing home a bronze medal.
Toby spent the whole day at Westbourne House School. He talked to all the children from Years 3-8 in morning assembly and answered their enthusiastic questions as they tried on his very heavy, bronze medal and asked for autographs.
He taught all the Year 6 pupils during their PE lesson, showing them how to do the Team GB baton pass and sprint start, and there was huge excitement when they all raced against him in a giant relay.
Toby had lunch with the pupils and two former teachers and reminisced about his school days. “I loved it here. This is where it all started,” Toby explained to the children. “This school is where my love of running and athletics began and where I spent so much time running around outside and playing ‘It’ all around the boundaries (school grounds).”
Toby spent the afternoon with the younger children and had running races with Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, which they absolutely loved.
During assembly Toby told the Westbourne House pupils that after 10 years of competing he was almost at the point of retiring from athletics, when his coach persuaded him to change his running distance from 200m to 400m to try and achieve his ultimate dream - to become a Team GB Olympian.
He said: “From nearly retiring to helping Team GB’s Men’s 4 x400m win bronze in Paris is a dream come true. I trained hard every day for a year for a 45 second race, with only a small hope of making the team. And it was so worth it.”
Westbourne House Maths teacher and Toby’s former school Head of Athletics, Roger Allingham, said: “Toby was a brilliant runner and an amazing rugby player during his school days at Westbourne House, and I really encouraged him to keep up his athletics in the future.
“We are so proud of Toby. It was wonderful to see him talking to the children, showing them his medal and how perseverance, determination and hard work have been paramount in achieving this monumental goal,” Mr Allingham added.
Westbourne House School Headmaster, Martin Barker, said: “We are very grateful to Toby for coming to Chichester and sharing his story with us all. Through the eyes of our current pupils, there is nothing more incredible and inspiring than realising that an adult you look up to and admire was once just like you - a pupil at Westbourne House School. It makes everything, every dream and ambition, feel possible.
“I am sure that this iconic moment will stay long in the memory of our pupils and staff at Westbourne House – it was a fantastic day,” Mr Barker added.
As one pupil said: “Wow! I can’t believe he used to come to this school. Look at what he’s achieved. So inspiring.”
Toby won six junior national athletics titles while he was studying at Westbourne House. Since then, he has taken the athletics track by storm, setting age-group British records for 200m and 400m as well as winning National, European and World Championship medals.
December 2024