A Wiltshire triathlete is in the running to win a gold national teaching award having already achieved her dream to win another international medal since losing the sight in her right eye.
Rachel Bown, aged 52, from Trowbridge, has been a teacher for over 31 years, seven of which have been spent at Fairfield Farm College delivering PE courses to learners with special educational needs and disabilities.
She has spent 26 of those 31 years in special needs education and has now been shortlisted for a national Further Education Lecturer of the Year Award.
Rachel said: “I am delighted to have been shortlisted in the top five for the Further Education Lecturer of the Year Award at the Pearson National Teaching Awards in 2023.
“I am the PE Coordinator at Fairfield College in Dilton Marsh. Fairfield is a college for young adults with additional needs.
“I am also the Youth Sport Trust Inclusion Lead for Swindon & Wiltshire. My role is to ensure that all children and young people have access to meaningful activity whatever their ability.”
In 2014 Rachel was diagnosed with a brain tumour that left her blind in her right eye and was forced to take a year out for lifesaving surgery at Southmead Hospital in Bristol.
“I had two lots of surgery in 2014 and 2015 and 30 rounds of radiotherapy in 2017, said Rachel. “I never let my illness stop me from doing things. I absolutely love my job.”
Despite living with the diagnosis every day, Rachel stays enthusiastic and continues to support students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities with their physical and mental health.
“I believe in what I can do, rather than what I can’t do. My students are just amazing and I always do everything I can to ensure they are successful in their lessons.”
What’s more, Rachel has continued to compete as a triathlete for the Great Britain age group team on the international level.
“My dream was to come back and win another international medal, which I did last year in Poland when my dream came true and I won a bronze medal.”
In 2016, Rachel also picked up a Guinness World Record by becoming the fastest female athlete to complete the London Marathon as a charity mascot to raise funds for Brain Tumour Support.
She has already qualified for the 2024 European Championships and is looking for sponsorship to compete as currently she is self-funded.
Rachel will find out if she has become the national winner of the FE Lecturer of the Year at the awards ceremony in London on November 25. The winner will make an appearance on BBC Television’s One Show programme.
Rachel added: “I can’t do it without the support from my family, colleagues and the children around me.”
She is backing the Department for Education’s Teach in Further Education campaign inviting individuals with industry experience to teach in FE, sharing their skills and training with the next generation of workers in their field.
FE teachers are needed across many subject areas but there is particular demand for workers from the following sectors: Health and Social Care, Construction, Engineering and Manufacturing, Legal, Finance, Accounting and Digital/IT.
Practical experience gained from industry is highly sought after, and teaching and other academic qualifications are not always a pre-requisite for employment as FE teachers can start earning straight away and do funded training on-the-job.
There are full-time, part-time and flexible contracts available, allowing FE teachers to balance their hours alongside other professional or personal responsibilities.
If Rachel’s story has inspired you, please click here to find out more.
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