Barry Roberts
Barry is one of this schools most successful athletes. He went on to coach a number of New Zealand athletes who competed at Olympic and Commonwealth games.
Barry completed five years education gaining School Certificate and University Entrance. Maths and Science were areas where he excelled. Following college he attended Pharmacy School and became a Registered Pharmacist in 1962. Soon after he started his own Pharmacy in Huntly and worked there until he retired in 2007. Also during that time he was a Director of a Major New Zealand Wholesale Drug Company for ten years.
Barry had an impressive record on the athletic field. He was the senior school champion winning the 100 yard sprint, 120 yard hurdles, high and triple jump in his final year. It has been very interesting to research the records and find that Barry’s senior triple jump record still stands today (2013). He achieved this in 1957 and it hasn’t been beaten in 56 years! Barry became the Waikato Secondary Schools’ record holder in both the hurdles and triple jump. Later, on leaving school, Barry won the Waikato Senior Open Championship in the 100 yards event.
Being such a superb runner Barry claimed the “wing” spot in the 1st XV! He also appears in the Cadet Officers and NCOs 1956 unit. A photograph of which was included in the 75th Jubilee magazine.
His interest in athletics has been life-long. Barry gained an International Level Athletic Coaching Diploma needing to pass an examination in order to gain this qualification. He has travelled as a team coach to Taiwan in 1982 and USA and Canada in 1985. He has mentored and coached a number of New Zealand’s leading athletes. Tony Rogers became an Olympic finalist in the 1500 metres at the LA Olympics with a personal best of 3m 36sec. Chris Rogers won the New Zealand championship 800 metres, Paul Breed was a semi-finalist in the 800 metres at the Auckland Commonwealth Games and Dale Kirk was a New Zealand marathon representative. Quite a record of success!
Barry is now retired. He and his wife are right into travel while they are ‘young enough’ and is also involved in ‘projects’ with his son. They have three daughters, a son and nine grandchildren.