ATC's Development Squad

At ATC Running we have some good reasons to be extremely proud our young development team. Coach Barry Goliath reports that he was very impressed with the attendance at training sessions during winter, even in harsh weather conditions at times. Looking back at their performances, this has certainly paid off.

After a successful campaign during this year’s Cross Country season, the team finished off on a high note with a good number of the runners being selected to represent the WP Athletics Schools Provincial team at the Western Cape Cross Country Championships in George on the 30th of August. The following members were selected: Dawood Goeieman (u/17), Simone Adams (u/15), Daniel Arendse (u/14), Bruzano Britz (u/14), and Adriaan Links (u/11). These runners featured amongst the top runners during the league with Dawood delivering the most impressive performance with a win in the Junior category at the Pollsmoor event.

At the New Balance Dudley’s Trail Run in June, the team impressed everyone when Dawood Goeieman, Eugene Poss and Daniel Arendse made “skoonskip” of the podium in the 8 Km event.

These kids don’t just run at a Cross Country meet. A ball of any shape or size is quickly annexed to start a game. And the slightest donga or sand pit will serve as platform for an impromptu display of gymnastics.

In-between the Cross Country League, the team also focussed on the Spur Cape Winter Trail Series. Unfortunately, with WP CC County Champs happening on the same day, the team had to miss the final event of the Series. However, they did enough to secure overall victories in the Junior (Dawood Goeieman) and Minimee (Daniel Arendse 1st and Bruzano Britz 2nd) Categories in the Short Course Challenge. Dawood impressed once again with two overall wins as well as winning the Junior category in all three events he ran. Our Minimee team won all the races they entered and filled the podium at the Paarl event with Daniel, Bruzano and Ashley Links delivering this hat-trick. The Paarl event was a particularly good one for ATC as Eugene Poss was 3rd in the Open Male category and Shamodean Koonthea won the Peewee Category. Coach Barry Goliath also squeezed in a podium at the Paul Gluver event with a 3rd in the Veteran Male category and finished 6th for the series.

Following a kind donation of trophies, Coach Barry held a mini awards ceremony after the WP Cross Country Championships. Each member of the team was awarded a trophy for the impressive dedication they showed during training and racing this winter. The following members received special performance awards: Dawood Goeieman, special award for winning the Winter Trail Series Short Course Challenge. Bruzano Brits, athlete of the year after being selected to the WP Athletics Schools Race Walking and Cross Country Teams.

These youngsters will no doubt feature prominently at the main ATC Multisport Awards ceremony later this year. But no special favours for the young!

We look forward to an exciting spring season ahead. ATC Running will be out in full force at the various events forming part of this year’s Cape Town Marathon weekend. Watch out for our young team in the Peace Relay!

Barry Goliath

Born in Cape Town in 1973, Barry Goliath is qualified as a western province level two middle and long distance running coach and in his own words has been ‘bringing the best out of under privileged kids for twelve years’. Himself an accomplished runner, specialising in marathon distance, Barry brings a wealth of both talent and experience to ATC development, joining as an athlete and coach. Barry currently lives in Kraaifontein with his wife (whom he also coaches) and when not competing or helping young athletes to reach their sporting goals, he works as a group trainer at Virgin Active and Planet fitness.

Barry lists spinning and reading among his hobbies, currently enjoying runner’s world, go multi magazine and his bible. Barry’s running performances are impressive and in the 30 years he has been involved in the sport, he has participated competitively in all distances from 400m to 42km, where his PB is 2.42mins. Possibly even more impressive is his dedication, through no financial incentive, to improving the lives of young athletes, such as Evan and Riaan; where he speaks of his greatest satisfaction as coming through seeing the young people he coaches smiling after winning races, achieving personal best times or just loving a sport that he knows so well. Within the next ten years, Barry would like to be working as an international running coach and has the very specific goal of seeing Riaan compete in the 2016 Olympic marathon – exciting stuff! With quiet confidence Barry informed me that his role model was himself and that the words he lived his life by were quite simply: ‘What you put into life is what you get out’ Barry currently coaches Riaan, Evan and other young people in similarly disadvantaged social situations without any financial reward and ATC hopes that within the next year sponsorship may be found to aid Barry in this pursuit.

ATC's Development Squad