With our passion and commitment to supporting the Mount Barker community and local families, we are proud to announce that we are now Major Sponsors of the Mount Barker High School Pedal Prix teams.
The school currently have three teams competing in the UniSA Australian HPV Super Series, staged by Australian International Pedal Prix Inc. It’s a competition where teams race Human Powered Vehicles (HPV’s) on a closed controlled circuit. The HPV (trike) is low to the ground with three wheels, two at the front and one at the back.
Supporting enthusiastic and determined kids from the local high school, only a short distance from Newenham on Flaxley Road, was an easy decision for us knowing that our ethos of nourishing our resident’s health and wellbeing, as well as our focus on sustainability, is closely matched with the schools’.
First introducing Pedal Prix back in 2014 as an extracurricular offering to students across all year levels, Mount Barker High School teams, Barking Mad and Barking Mad Too, have enjoyed many successful years in the competition, finishing 2nd in their category in 2017 and going onto win the title in 2018.
Debs Buchmann, School Parent Liaison from Mount Barker High and now Team Manager of the school’s new team, Barking Beautys, came to us late last year with a passion and an eagerness to introduce third team to the competition – an all-girls team.
In 2019, Mount Barker High School now have three teams competing in five races across Mount Gambier, Loxton, Victoria Park, Adelaide and Murray Bridge – Barking Mad, Barking Mad Too and Barking Beauty’s (the girls’ team). Racing against more than 230 teams comprising of over 3400 riders plus support crews, Pedal Prix has become a massive sport that continues to grow in interest year after year.
“Last year we had interest from three Year 8 boys to join Pedal Prix, which was not enough for a third team to compete. The ideal number is 6-8 riders,” said Debs.
“The senior team had sisters in Year 8 who had been involved in supporting their brothers at every race for 4 years. So, we asked three girls to join the boys and make up a team for the Victoria Park races using a very old corflute trike.”
“They enjoyed it so much that they asked if we could form a girls’ team for 2019.”
Knowing that it would be a great chance to promote women and girls in sport, especially as there weren’t many female only Pedal Prix teams currently racing, Debs approached the school’s Principal with the idea to purchase an old trike and personally raise the funds needed in sponsorship.
“When looking for major sponsors, it was really important to me to reach out to those who I had connections with myself and those who were local to Mount Barker,” said Debs.
“I knew of Newenham through my work and knew that their ethos was about wellbeing and sustainability and that matched really well with the school’s own ethos.”
With our focus on creating a quality community where our resident’s health and lifestyle are always put front of mind at Newenham, we were excited by the opportunity to help make introducing a girls team a reality.
And, after hearing about what Pedal Prix stands for and the dedication that had been shown from both the students and their families, we at Newenham knew that we would love to support them.
The Barking Beautys are the first public school girls’ team from the Adelaide Hills to enter the competition. At their next race there will be 11 female teams out of 78 in the school’s category, which ranges from Primary School to High School.
“Our students gain an enormous sense of satisfaction by being involved in this event and learn a great deal about fitness, team work, safety, control and cooperation,” said Debs.
“They are also involved in the trike maintenance which teaches them technology, engineering and aesthetics.”
A sport that strays from typical school sports like football, netball and soccer, it’s a fantastic culture to be a part of. A culture that we at Newenham believe reflects our vision of creating an engaged, active, healthy and sustainable community.
“This makes it a great ‘family’ and community environment, not only for the students to make new friends, but also the parents. We all feel part of the team,” said Debs.
“There are students who’ve come from different primary schools so they haven’t known each other before joining the Pedal Prix team. This is a great way for them to build friendships; it’s something new that they enjoy and they’re finding friends who have similar interests to them.”
After competing in Mount Gambier in March 2019, the students will travel to Loxton in early May for a six-hour race, then two six-hour races at Victoria Park in June and July, finishing with a huge 24-hour race at Murray Bridge in September.
Racing from midday on one day to midday the next, it’s a test of endurance and determination.
“It’s amazing the endurance they have. They’ll go in and out of the trike, and might be in it four times in that 24 hours.”
“We just let them ride for pretty much as long as they can, sometimes up to two hours and then they come in and have a rest, while another team member takes over” said Debs.
Proving to be a very successful group of young students at Mount Barker High School, one of Debs proudest moments so far has been the kids’ great sportsmanship.
“Last year we won the overall category, but we also won an award for the team who not only races fast but who also races fair and is considerate to other teams.”
“That’s something that we’re really proud of. It’s the good sportsmanship that our team have for all the other riders and teams. That was a really wonderful award to get.”
If you’d like to keep up with the Barking Mad, Barking Mad Too and Barking Beautys teams, you can see the race schedule and much more by checking the website
If you’d like to keep up with all the action, all races are live streamed on the UniSA Pedal Prix YouTube here… pedal prix live stream
If you’d like to find out more about Newenham or join their growing community, visit the beautifully restored Sales and Information Centre and discover why living at Newenham will be something truly special.
Open 12 – 5pm every day at 164 Flaxley Road, Mount Barker.
