Last updated 25 March 2018
Paul Byfield, President for 2018/19
I was born into a large family (1 of 6 boys) and went to Sedgehill School in
Catford. I played a lot of sport at school, including rugby, hockey, x country
and tennis, in addition to athletics. My maths teacher, Ken Pike (ex BBHAC and
Kent AC team manager, coach and President) was very instrumental in my
introduction to athletics, in addition to other club members Jim Phelan, VP and
Clive Morris.
I joined the club in 1983. John Powell was team manager at
the time and we were one of the first BBHAC teams to qualify for what was then
known as the National Young Athletes League Final (now YDL). I went on to appear
in 3 finals, winning 6 medals overall and a couple of pairs of Dunlop trainers
(the league was sponsored by Dunlop at the time; later sponsors were Woolworths
and McDonalds!) In 1985 I had my best season as a young athlete and was made
Captain of the Young Athlete’s team. I won 3 Kent County Championship titles at
400m, 400mH (the junior and senior titles were also won by Blackheath & Bromley
athletes...... one of whom is now a coach and team manager, can you guess who?)
and Triple Jump and went on later in the season to finish 5th in the South of
England champs over 400m (50.86) and 6th in the 400mh (57.82) and represented
London Schools over 400m in the English Schools championships in Hull, and ran
for Kent in the Inter Counties Championships. That year I also finished 9th in
the AAA final in the Triple Jump and just missed out on the AAAs final of the
400m and won the first of 2 AAAs medals in the 4x100m relay at the Nike Classic
meeting at Crystal Palace (1985 & 1987). I made my British League debut that
year at age 16, running the 400mh, and went on to compete in the British League
and Southern League at various events for the next 18 years.
1985 AAA under20 champs, concentrating at the start of my 400m
I intended to take a year out of athletics in 1986 but
came back in the spring and just did sprints and jumps; I ran windy 11.1 and
11.2 that year for 100m and did 13.56 for Triple Jump. I went back to playing
Basketball while at college and represented London Colleges that season and also
started training again for 400s and was running reasonably well again in 1987
over 400, (ran 50.97) but tore my hamstring whilst running a 400m at RAF Cosford
and took a while to get back to something resembling fitness. In 1989 I ran 50.4
to come 4th in the 400m final at the Kent Championships.
Southern
League match -100m, dip finish!
In 1990 while in my second year at Kingston Polytechnic
(now University) I competed in the British Polytechnic Championships and came
3rd in the final of the 400m in a PB of 49.5. I went on that year to compete in
a representative match for British Polytechnics, winning the 400m and I then
finished 5th in the Kent Championships over 200 (22.8,) and 400 (49.8), behind
Steve Heard amongst others. I also ran 49.9 at the Reading Gazette Trophy
meeting in August that year.
In 1991 I ran well in the early season, running a new PB
of 84.9 over 600 but got injured again at the first British League match of the
year, managing to get back to run 50.9 in a southern league match later in the
summer and eventually running a sub-50 relay split at the Kent relay
championships at the end of the season. In between all of that I graduated with
a degree in Law. After that I never really got back to the form I showed in 1990
and the pursuits of further education and work took over but I still turned out
for the club in a variety of events, in the British League primarily in the
triple jump and in the southern league team in a variety of events (even
managing to run 2.04.50 for an 800m!).
Resting
in between events at Norman Park!
I went on to Nottingham University to study for a Master’s
Degree in International Relations (I had at that point the aim of getting a job
with the EU) and also met my wife, Nichola during that time; we have been
married for 18 years and have 3 children, Jacob (now competing for the u15s
team), Alice and Marley. I have been working in the legal team at the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) since 2000.
Aside from competing I also served as a Southern League
Team Manager on 2 occasions, in the late 90s and the early 00s. I managed to get
what was then our 3rd team to promotion in my final year. I was made a Vice
President (by then President Mike Davies) in 2001. I infamously competed in 10
events in 1 afternoon at a southern league match in 2002 (100,200,400,110mh,
400mh, LJ, TJ, HJ, SP, 4X100) and then quit athletics in 2004, prior to having a
knee operation (!) I even once managed to Pole Vault in a match, after a 5
minute session with Jim Day (Past President) I actually managed to get over the
bar, but my High Jump PB is higher than my Pole Vault PB as a result of that
poor showing!!!
I
made a ‘comeback’ as a Master’s Athlete in 2009 (the Team was managed by Tom
Philips at the time) but competed twice and got injured twice so decided that
enough was enough. I went on to have keyhole surgery on my other knee in 2011.
Most recently, after the death of my mother from cancer I decided to row a
marathon on a rowing machine (twin goals of raising money for Cancer Research
and getting fit) and completed the row in 3hrs 7mins and 39 secs. Other similar
challenges have been planned but I now need to find the time to do them......
next year perhaps???
Completing my marathon row in
October 2016
I also served as Head of Active Athletics, 2009 – 2011 and
am currently also Chair of Development. I have always been proud to be a member
of the club and it is an honour to be chosen by Nick and to follow him as the
new Club President. I’ve been a member for 35 years; one of the constant themes
in the club during all that time is how much our members strive for success, be
they athletes, coaches, team manages or other volunteers. I'm keen to do all I
can to contribute to that success in what should prove to be a pivotal year for
our great club; I know that I have a tough act to follow after Nick’s great year
as President.
And the winner of rhe Presidents swindle is... Dave White!
