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The class of 2009 Academy kicks off in style......... Performance Academy at Oaklands commences with world record

breaking student returning home Oaklands College student Mike Perham became the youngest person ever to sail round the world on Thursday 27th of August 2009 as he crossed the line between Lizard Point and Ushant in France at 09:47:30Mike returned to a hero’s welcome at Gunwharf quays, Portsmouth, the starting point of his adventure. Thousands lined the dockside and Mike’s return and record was covered by press from all round the world.On 18th November 2008, 16-year-old Mike Perham set out to become the youngest person to sail around the world single-handed in his yacht, TotallyMoney.com. Mike battled on as TotallyMoney.com was

knocked over, battered and damaged. His planned four month, non-stop circumnavigation became a 9 month odyssey full of technical and navigational challenges. Repeated autopilot failures put Mike’s record attempt at risk, forcing him to stop for repairs in Portugal, Gran Canaria and Cape Town. After finally overcoming those problems, Mike crossed the Southern Indian Ocean in March, celebrating his 17th birthday enroute, but was forced to stop again in Tasmania and then Aukland after serious rudder problems emerged. Horrendous weather in the Southern Ocean saw Mike surfing down 50 foot waves in 50 knot winds at speeds up to 28 knots. TotallyMoney.com was knocked

down and damaged forcing Mike to make emergency repairs up the mast and pushing him much farther North than he originally intended. Opponents of the attempt questioned whether anyone with so little experience, let alone a minor, should be allowed to make such an attempt. Much less, thanks to the delays, at a time of year when the weather is so inhospitable, but Mike pushed on and proved his critics wrong.

ACADEMY UPDATES

Newsletter of the performance academya partnership between elite-performance and Oaklands College

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Oaklands Athlete Antoe Walters retained his prestigious street athletics title last weekend with a new Championship Record. Antoe outclassed his opponents as he swept to victory. He has taken medals this year at the English Schools Championships, National Championships, Swiss National Championships and now finishes his season with another title on "the street".Antoe wins a one-year sponsorship deal with NIKE.www.streetathletics.co.uk

Doom and Enigma, from the Sky TV show ‘Gladiators’, dropped in on Oaklands College Athletics Academy students this week to share top performance secrets.

International athletes Wayne Gordon (Doom) and Jenny Pacey (Enigma) spent over two hours with the Oaklands students as part of the Oaklands College Athletics Academy induction week. They offered them insight into

their lives as international competitors and Gladiators stars. Gary Anderson, Academy and Performance Director at Oaklands College, commented: “The purpose of our induction week is to introduce students to the positive environment we create, promoting academic achievement alongside sporting success.”

Talking about their experience, the Gladiators said: “Thank you for allowing us the time to meet with your athletes today - what a very motivated group of young people! We were both really impressed with your set-up in such fabulous surroundings. We wish we were 20 years younger because we would apply… if you would have us!”

Both Wayne Gordon and Jenny Pacey have kindly agreed to come back and train alongside the Oaklands College athletes later this year.

News stories so far this termLate season track win for Antoe Gladiators visit the academy

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Our first track competitions for the indoor season 2009 will be the SESSA students indoors at Lee Valley Athletics Centre in early December. We have won this competition for the past two years. We will be up against many major universities including Oxford and Cambridge.

The cross country athletes will be in action in 2009 in various national and club races in their quest to qualify for the English Schools National Championships in 2010.

The academy programme at Oaklands is a

combined programme of training, athlete support and

academic study. We are justifiably proud of our athletes

achievements over the past two years in all of these

three areas. Our progression routes from graduation to

University is particularly satisfying with a large majority

of our students now attending their university of choice.

elite-performance have invested highly in

providing a support network of coaches and

performance staff to support and underpin the

programme. Our philosophy of athlete development is

centered around an athlete focused coach led principle,

we do not believe that any “one coach” has ownership

of an athlete and that all performance decisions must

be centered on the single athlete.

Our coaching staff are highly experienced and have

all competed or coached at the highest level in

performance sport. They have a lot to offer our athletes

and will act in a mentoring as well as a coaching role.

All the coaching staff understand that we are trying to

create an environment that will encourage and support

excellence, sometimes this means making “hard calls”

and trust me each of these “hard calls” are thought

through and the consequences weighed up thoroughly.

Our programme is designed to help individual

athletes lead a balanced lifestyle whilst undertaking

study and training at a high level in their sport. There

should be no need for athletes to have to now rush

home to get to the track or rush their homework

because of having to get to training. The programmme

is balanced to allow adequate time, provided an athlete

applies themselves, for both. This brings me onto the

“responsibility” theme, we will encourage all athletes to

take responsibility for their actions and deal withnthe

consequence of those actions. What the performance

staff will endeavour to do is be consistent with their

performance messages to minimise any mis-

interpretation.

Training at the AcademyWinter plans 2009/2010 - our philosophy

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elite-performanceTRAINING CAMP 2010Its a return to Austria !!!

Over the past 10 years elite-performance as a company has become known for its annual training camps. They have been held in numerous locations throughout the world. They have been attended by many Olympic medallists and world champions from various sports. In 2010 elite-performance will be hosting its annual camp in the Austrian Alps at altitude in the town of Kitzbühel. elite-performance have made available a number of assisted places to athletes on the academy programme. These selected athletes will work alongside international athletes from other sports under the guidance of world class coaches and sports science staff. In addition to a full programme of coaching athletes will have educational lectures on lifestyle, psychology, nutrition and physiology. In addition there will be elements of adventurous activity and team building sessions. A real taste of the life of an elite athlete.

Imagine the possibilities -

Academy Director Gary Anderson has been appointed as one of the team managers for the Winter Olympic

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9The 2010 elite-performanceTraining Camp has been announced - back to Austria !

Full Details and cost of this training camp will be released in November.

Academy athletes will be selected for invitation on performance, attendance and academic achievement

throughout the first term.

A footnote....stop press