Local Olympian Burch Gives Back To Community
After Roy-Allan Burch was able to give the crowd at the BASA pool a show last weekend with his two national records, he followed that up with a busy schedule intended to help him to encourage others to achieve success with their dreams and aspirations.
In wanting to give back to the community that has given him so much, his aim this past week was to reach out to local children in order to give them insight into what it takes to reach your goals.
A spokesperson said, “On Monday, Roy visited Sandy’s Middle School for their morning assembly. Roy’s words to the students were for them to invest in themselves. They all have potential but they must commit in order to reach it.
“On Tuesday, he was at Somerset Primary in the morning, spreading his message of motivation and hard work that continued with a talk to the primary 6 class at Prospect Primary in the afternoon.
Mr. Burch said, “It was nice to see how eager the students were to hear my message and it was good to see that they all have dreams they would like to fulfill.”
Roy-Allan Burch poses with school children:
“On Wednesday, Roy did a Masters Swimmers freestyle clinic at the BASA pool on what was the coldest day of the year in Bermuda. He made up for the low attendance numbers with great enthusiasm. He then rushed from the pool to get to Purvis Primary where he was able to speak to an afternoon assembly for the whole school.
“Finishing his tour of schools for this trip, Roy attended West Pembroke Primary on Friday morning. This was special as West Pembroke, with the guidance of Wendell Smith, has had a swim program over the last couple of years at the BASA pool in the mornings before school begins.”
“In front of a group that has embraced the sport of swimming, Roy mentioned how well the message was received. He said that after having the opportunity to travel the world and see other cultures and the level of poverty in many places, it is important to have all of the kids he was able to speak to know how lucky we are to live in this paradise. More importantly, they should not take for granted the opportunities that are in front of them. We have the talent; we need to commit to the work.”
Finishing off his week, Mr. Burch hosted a freestyle clinic for up-and-coming swimmers at the BASA pool. Starting off with a motivational talk to the group, he set the tone for expectations, saying, “Don’t be afraid to dream big. Set your goal, write it down, put it where you can see it every day and work every day to reach it. When you succeed in reaching your goal, set the next one. Even if you fall short of your goal it is the journey to reach the goal that is important. Every day is an opportunity to learn so learn, learn, learn.”
Big thank you to West Pembroke School for giving me this hoodie to represent #Bermuda to the fullest @bernewsdotcom pic.twitter.com/IWPf5FDzFk
— Roy Burch (@Roy_Burch) March 31, 2014
“After the talk, he demonstrated starts and swimming drills to the captivated group of youngsters and then spent time working with each of them on performing what he had shown. You could see what effect having such a positive person around them had on the group as they clamored to get photos with him at the end of the clinic.”
National Coach Ben Smith said, “I am proud of Roy’s accomplishments in the pool to date, but this week showed the growth that is even more important. He knows his importance to the sport in Bermuda and realizes that he carries a responsibility to pass on what he is learning through experience onto the next generation. Not just swimmers, but Bermuda youth in general.”
I am so proud of my cousin, Roy-Allan Burch, I wish you all the best in your future endeavors you can make it. Keep up the hard work it is paying off. Remember your family is behind you 100% and routing for you. You are already a success to us and an inspiration. The best is yet to come.