Inspiring the Future: Recent Episodes
Gresham's School
With the support of television and radio presenter Paddy O’Connell (F 1979 – 84), the Old Greshamian Club has produced its first Podcast Series, ‘Inspiring the Future’, where Paddy talks to former and current pupils about their lives and how Gresham’s has helped shape their past, present and future. Season 1 contains 6 episodes. We hope to entertain and inspire our listeners and celebrate the extraordinary talent of our #OldGreshamians.
The Ndlela ‘Band of Brothers’ from Zimbabwe have spent most of lockdown at Gresham’s. Paddy O’Connell talks to them to find out what they got up to and how they felt about not returning home …
Sakhumuzi Ndlela (F 2019 - 21) - I was born and raised in Bulawayo Zimbabwe. I moved to England aged 16 to continue my pursuit in cricket and academia and be a high achiever in both. I am very proud to have been able to part take in the U19 cricket World Cup in South Africa in January 2020. I am aiming to go to university in the UK and continue my cricket career.
Mgcinumuzi Ndlela (F 2020 – 22) - From a very young age I have been fond of all sports especially cricket, with my best childhood memories playing backyard cricket with my two elder brothers. The skills harnessed from this helped me do fairly well throughout school cricket and hopefully as I aim for a spot in the Zimbabwe U19 cricket team. Though I am a major sports fan, I have found out that I am quite handy with numbers as I managed to get the best result in Zimbabwe in Physical Science in my IGCSE. In my downtime, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, catching up with a couple of drinks and delicious food is what I appreciate most.
Pat Symonds (k & H 1964 – 71)
Pat Symonds’ 40+ year motorsport career has seen him achieve success with some of the sport’s most accomplished teams and drivers.
Having started his career designing championship winning cars for the lower formulae, including the European Championship winning car driven by fellow OG, John Village, he joined the fledgling Toleman F1 team working with Ayrton Senna however it was with Benetton and subsequently Renault that he achieved extraordinary success. His partnerships with Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso produced 32 race wins, four Drivers’ World Championships and three Constructors’ World Championships. During this time he became Technical Director of the Benetton Formula One Team and latterly the Renault Formula One Team.
After some years running his engineering consultancy, Neutrino Dynamics, he accepted an offer to become CTO at the Williams F1 team, a position he held until the end of the 2016 season and during which the team achieved many notable successes including rising from ninth to third in the World Championship. Pat is now Chief Technical Officer at F1 (Formula One Management) tasked with setting up and directing a small technical group to assist the FIA in the formulation of future F1 regulations the culmination of which is seen in many of the 2022 F1 regulations and the recently launched 2022 F1 car. He is now turning his attention to the transition of F1 to a low carbon economy. Pat is also a visiting professor at Cranfield University, lecturing in both the Automotive Engineering and Management Schools, is a chartered engineer and a Fellow of both the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Kimberley spent her younger years in the experienced hands of Doctors at Great Ormond’s Street Children’s Hospital. At 3 years of age Kimberley was deemed strong enough and underwent complex heart surgery. At 4 years of age Kimberley joined Gresham’s School. Discovering triathlon at school she became the ‘Ironman Senior Champion’ but went on to focus her love for sport with the hockey stick. Kimberley enjoyed success at Loughborough University, Chiswick and Teddington Hockey club before committing to swimming, cycling and running. In 2016 Kimberley became an Ironman70.3 Champion in Buenos Aires, Argentina and has been racing professionally since, picking up podiums, wins and World Championships slots… In 2021 Kimberley has qualified to race, for the second time, at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii in October.
greshams
The Ndlela ‘Band of Brothers’ from Zimbabwe have spent most of lockdown at Gresham’s. Paddy O’Connell talks to them to find out what they got up to and how they felt about not returning home …
Sakhumuzi Ndlela (F 2019 - 21) - I was born and raised in Bulawayo Zimbabwe. I moved to England aged 16 to continue my pursuit in cricket and academia and be a high achiever in both. I am very proud to have been able to part take in the U19 cricket World Cup in South Africa in January 2020. I am aiming to go to university in the UK and continue my cricket career.
Mgcinumuzi Ndlela (F 2020 – 22) - From a very young age I have been fond of all sports especially cricket, with my best childhood memories playing backyard cricket with my two elder brothers. The skills harnessed from this helped me do fairly well throughout school cricket and hopefully as I aim for a spot in the Zimbabwe U19 cricket team. Though I am a major sports fan, I have found out that I am quite handy with numbers as I managed to get the best result in Zimbabwe in Physical Science in my IGCSE. In my downtime, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, catching up with a couple of drinks and delicious food is what I appreciate most.
Pat Symonds’ 40+ year motorsport career has seen him achieve success with some of the sport’s most accomplished teams and drivers.
Having started his career designing championship winning cars for the lower formulae, including the European Championship winning car driven by fellow OG, John Village, he joined the fledgling Toleman F1 team working with Ayrton Senna however it was with Benetton and subsequently Renault that he achieved extraordinary success. His partnerships with Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso produced 32 race wins, four Drivers’ World Championships and three Constructors’ World Championships. During this time he became Technical Director of the Benetton Formula One Team and latterly the Renault Formula One Team.
After some years running his engineering consultancy, Neutrino Dynamics, he accepted an offer to become CTO at the Williams F1 team, a position he held until the end of the 2016 season and during which the team achieved many notable successes including rising from ninth to third in the World Championship. Pat is now Chief Technical Officer at F1 (Formula One Management) tasked with setting up and directing a small technical group to assist the FIA in the formulation of future F1 regulations the culmination of which is seen in many of the 2022 F1 regulations and the recently launched 2022 F1 car. He is now turning his attention to the transition of F1 to a low carbon economy. Pat is also a visiting professor at Cranfield University, lecturing in both the Automotive Engineering and Management Schools, is a chartered engineer and a Fellow of both the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Kimberley spent her younger years in the experienced hands of Doctors at Great Ormond’s Street Children’s Hospital. At 3 years of age Kimberley was deemed strong enough and underwent complex heart surgery. At 4 years of age Kimberley joined Gresham’s School. Discovering triathlon at school she became the ‘Ironman Senior Champion’ but went on to focus her love for sport with the hockey stick. Kimberley enjoyed success at Loughborough University, Chiswick and Teddington Hockey club before committing to swimming, cycling and running. In 2016 Kimberley became an Ironman70.3 Champion in Buenos Aires, Argentina and has been racing professionally since, picking up podiums, wins and World Championships slots… In 2021 Kimberley has qualified to race, for the second time, at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii in October.