Michael and Barbara Beable. PHOTO: Wanaka App

DIANA COCKS

Barbara and Michael Beable alighted in Wanaka 16 months ago and have already made a significant contribution to the success of Wanaka’s young athletes.

Mount Aspiring College (MAC) track and field athletes took the Otago Secondary Schools Athletics (OSSA) championships by storm last month setting new records in no less than three disciplines.

Abby Fisher’s mum, Tania, said Abby’s wild success smashing sprint records at OSSA was largely due to the impact the Beables have had upon her 14-year old daughter’s training regime. "They’re amazing,” Tania said.

For the Beables this remarkable success is taken in stride. As coaches, who have never been paid a cent, they are professionals in everything but name. Between the two of them they’ve been coaching track and field athletes for 85 years at an elite national and international level.

Michael coaching at MAC’s athletics fields. PHOTO: Supplied

Barbara’s association with athletics began in her early teens when, at the age of 13 years, she was being trained in track and field by some of New Zealand’s best coaches. By age 16 she had won her first New Zealand title in pentathlon and was competing on an international stage. She has represented New Zealand at three Commonwealth Games winning silver in shot put at Edinburgh in 1970. She made the "dream team” in Peter Heidenstrom’s top 100 New Zealand track and field legends.

Before making the permanent move to Wanaka, Barbara (nee Poulsen) spent 26 years at Queen Margaret College in Wellington as head of department for physical education. She was also a conditioning coach for the Wellington Shakers netball team. During that time, this Cantabrian renewed her long-time association with Wanaka with regular family ski-trips south at every opportunity.

"Barbara had a full training background from the age of 13; while I have never had a coach - which is ironic given how much coaching I’ve done,” Michael said.

Michael, on the other hand, was focussed on his rugby career before he started taking track and field seriously in his early 20s. He spent 11 years competing at a national and international level and held the provincial Wellington record for long jump for 16 years.

Barbara in action PHOTO: Supplied

At age 31, he was selected as an athlete and coach for the New Zealand team in a trans-Tasman clash with Australia and has gained international qualifications in coaching at an elite level, as well as serving New Zealand as a head coach and ancillary coach. With a Ph.D in civil engineering he currently commutes between NZ and Australia on a weekly basis as a regional director for a global management consultancy.  

Between them they have coached around 150 athletes, 40 of whom have gone on to represent New Zealand in athletics.

"Our goal is to take somebody who’s got a talent, but more importantly the desire and enthusiasm, the fire in the belly so to speak, and nurture and develop them so that they can represent New Zealand within two or three years,” Mike said.

As with many occurrences in small towns, the Beables introduction to Wanaka athletes was by chance. A local carpenter building wardrobes in their house mentioned his son "did a bit of running” and would the Beables be willing to chat with him before he went off to the Otago champs.

Barbara said "I went down to the Aspiring Athletes’ Club on the last night of their season and I told the president we were happy to help.” This offer evolved into indoor training sessions last winter at the school gym and from there word of mouth ensured their coaching influence grew.  

Michael estimated they would spend 10-15 hours each week coaching young Wanaka athletes. 

Compared with the athletes they coached from multiple Wellington high schools, the promise shown by this current crop of young MAC athletes is extraordinary, Michael said. "These kids in Wanaka learn quickly; far more quickly than I’ve seen in other places.”

Barbara elaborated: "I think they’re accustomed to doing so much all the time [many are into dance and gymnastics], you don’t have to get them motivated.”

"The nice thing is we’ve had some successes already. Abby Fisher is the standout from the sprinting track and field point of view,” Michael said. "She could even be the best girl sprinter of her age I’ve ever coached,” he added.

With several decades of coaching behind them they are witnessing a new crop of sports and athletics coaches coming through, many of whom were coached as juniors by Michael and Barbara. "They’re using the same coaching methods we taught them, modified by their own ideas, and they’re getting top results,” Michael said.

Looking for that commitment in young athletes can be daunting, Michael said. So one of the things we say is "It’s a long time sitting in the stands and saying ‘if only’.”