Focus on... Ed Barney

International Athlete - Sailing

I am a recently retired member of Skandia Team GBR (the British Sailing Team) and had been sailing full-time since graduating in 2004. 2008 was my primary goal but was always going to be a big ask with sailing generally rewarding the more experienced and slightly older. As it turned out we went to Beijing as a tune-up/sparing partner for the British team, which was a great experience.

2012 was a more realistic goal but out-of-the-blue our class (similar to what happened in cycling with the ‘kilo’) got removed from the Games for 2012. For sure there were options to carry on but for various reasons it seemed like the right option was for my Olympic sailing career to come to a close.

Although I knew there would always have to be a career post sailing I couldn’t, whilst competing bring myself to prepare or plan for what that might be; some can but I felt my sole commitment and focus should be on achieving within sailing. If the clock could be turned back I wonder if I might have felt more comfortable competing as an athlete with a clear view of what I might do after…

I began to look at various opportunities as a retiring athlete and explored a vast array (probably too broad) of weird and wonderful ideas. I spoke with Sport2Business, went through the application process with various graduate programmes, talked to a number of NGB’s and sporting based organisations and researched a few further education ideas. I narrowed my ideas down to four areas: working in special needs, business, professional sailing and or elite sport (with some form of further education). Around the October time of 2008 while I was still floundering around and desperate for any support and advice available an email arrived from Dame Kelly Holmes explaining the trust and the work that she was about to embark on. With my recently written CV I fired it off and began a bit of a journey with the DKHL Trust!

After various emails and chats in person I took the Trust up on a number of opportunities that were available. Post sailing the idea of working with different sports appealed, fresh faces, new challenges, different obstacles, all that sort of stuff so I was keen to support the work that the DKHL Trust was doing in East London backing young talented performers in a variety of sports. I began to realise the wealth of knowledge and experience that I had, how keen young people are to pull some of this out of you and your almost instant respect or role model status only through having achieved in sport. Through this role as a harnessing talent athlete I have been able to give a little back to those who are nearer the beginning of their sporting journeys.

This event, as well as the DKHL Trust National Conference gave me the opportunity to meet a massive range of current, retiring and retired athletes. It was enlightening to realise that there were other people who had been through similar thought processes and struggled with quite what to do after competition. Coming from a career or more aptly a life where you are so goal focused, so clear and passionate in your direction to a fuzzy mismatch of opportunities, obstacles and uncertainty is a difficult step for most retiring athletes.

I did think that I would come out of sport and, not easily, but in a relatively short period of time know exactly what I wanted to do it and therefore find a clear route/path to achieving it. Gradually I’ve realised that this might not be the only way and more importantly might not be the way for me. Through the Trust I’ve embarked on a Mentoring in Sport qualification with Sports Coach UK, again getting the opportunity to work with different sports and not just athletes but also coaches. I’ve been working as a support worker to a child with an acquired brain injury, worked as a coach at National Junior level and supported a grass routes sailing project in the UK whilst also been able to continue with some professional sailing.

One of the highlights of my sailing career has to be the iShares Cup and finishing on the podium in 2008 just behind Alinghi (defending America’s Cup team) and the British America’s Cup team (Team Origin). It was nice while making the break from Olympic sailing to be involved in something that was different, just really different after Olympic sailing. I also loved being involved in a bigger team environment, 5 people instead of 2 on the boat, a lot of banter and a great support team. This year I am continuing and going to give the best shot possible of a better result with again a great team. We’re off to France for our first training trip before the first of six city based events in Venice.

My other goal for 2009 is the Etape du Tour, a 167km ‘road race’ where 9000 complete a stage of the Tour de France. I will certainly just be trying to make my way round, get up the mountains, including Mount Ventoux at 1912m and not fall off on the way back down! I’m doing this with a few friends; we’re riding for the Ellen MacArthur Trust, a charity that works with young people in recovery from cancer and Leukaemia.

I’m presently writing this whilst intently watching the results of the first major Olympic regatta that I have missed since 2004 filter through on the net – odd times! Recently there’s also been a lot of chat about re-instating our class for 2012 - who knows…


Click here to be taken to Ed’s DKHLT biography