Former Western Cape College student and seven-time CrossFit Games champion Tia-Clair Toomey visited her old school last week to inspire remote students with big dreams. Photo: Supplied.
After an eye-opening Q&A session with the fittest woman in the world, Western Cape College’s (WCC) top sports stars say the once-in-a-lifetime experience has inspired them to push even harder and follow in her footsteps.
Seven-time CrossFit Games gold medallist and WCC alumni Tia-Clair Toomey visited the school on 10 February as part of a documentary series she is filming, sharing her memories of life as a student on western Cape York and the wisdom she has gained on the way to becoming a top athlete.
In addition to a whole-of-school assembly, a group of WCC’s best athletes were selected to speak with Ms Toomey privately, where they got the opportunity to ask about her journey and how they could continue to improve in their chosen sporting fields.
“The college ran a special parade for students in years 1-12, where they were fortunate to have the opportunity to have Tia-Clair share her journey from WCC to becoming a champion, which also incorporated highlighting the importance of education alongside sport,” principal Dan Tonon said.
Following the assembly, both Ms Toomey and her husband, Shane, held a special session with a group of students who were selected to represent the Peninsula Region at a state level in 2024 to mentor them on their journey.
“Part of our school vision is to empower students to pursue their passions; Tia is a testament to this, and has allowed our staff to speak with students about their passions and the skills WCC can provide to support their goals,” Mr Tonon said.
Among the selected group was year 12 student and rising boxing star Jack Barton, who took the opportunity to quiz Ms Toomey about the mental aspect of high-level athletic performance.
“It was an honour, because she’s such an inspirational person,” he said.
“It was mostly related to struggles that we face in sports, I suppose, and I asked about how she prepares herself to be better each time.
“It was pretty cool, the way we both think the same way – we’re always trying to do more and keep pushing.”
Year 12 student and rising amateur boxer Jack Barton said he was inspired to hear how seven-time CrossFit Games winner Tia-Clair Toomey approached the mental aspect of sporting performance during her visit to Western Cape College last week. Photo: Supplied.
