In the 63 years he’s been running and 55 years coaching, Run and Become Squad coach Keith Redpath says nine-year-old Byford youngster Cooper Palermo is one of the most talented athletes he’s ever seen.
“He has tremendous natural ability and is an unassuming character,” Redpath said.
“He’s not being pushed in the slightest by his mum or by me.
“He’s just progressing naturally.”
Redpath said Cooper recently won the year 4 champion boy at the inter-schools’ championships at West Byford Primary School and also created a new course record at the Black Swan lake parkrun.
“That particular parkrun started a month ago so it was an easy opportunity,” he said.
“Cooper has his eye on course records, so his mum takes him to different parkruns and he holds the course record for most of them for under 11s.
“It doesn’t take into account that he’s only nine so that’s a major achievement to hold when he’s competing against people that are two years older than him.
“Cooper won his first parkrun when he was eight and there were 120 adults in the race when he won it at Champion Lake.”
Redpath said he started the Byford based Run and Become Squad seven years ago when he moved from Scotland.
“I was retired and had been an athlete and coach all my life,” he said.
“I decided to start coaching again with just a few athletes and we had two or three to start with.
“It gradually progressed and we’ve now got over 100.”
Redpath said the high demand in the area contributed to the growth of the club.
“There’s a broad range of athletes that come.
“Some come just to keep fit and have a healthy lifestyle but we do have hardcore and obsessed athletes, just like myself.
“We purposely don’t advertise, as such.
“We only work through word of mouth because there is a high demand and we couldn’t cope with anymore.
“We’re at our limit now.”
He said there was no harm in getting more coaches to help run the club.
“But everything we do at the club is free.
“It was set up without any funds – nobody gets paid.
“Money can bring the worst in people so there’s no money involved in the club at all.”
Instead, Redpath said his love for the sport was what drove him to continue coaching.
“It’s in my DNA,” he said.
He said the run club stood out from others because it was a family affair.
“We have mothers, fathers, sons and daughters all training together.
“That’s what’s unique about the club.
“All the parents are encouraged to participate and it doesn’t matter if they’re fast or slow.”
Redpath hoped the club would have a base in the future.
“Two years ago, we trained at the Kalimna oval but we were squeezed out by local sporting clubs.
“We ended up going to Bill Hicks and we run around the perimeter of the oval there but we don’t have a track.
“If anybody comes over and plays football or has dogs, we just have to put up with it.”
