Rob is an ex-international rugby player having been capped for Wales at all age groups from U15 to U21 on the wing as well as the Welsh men's 7s team. He also represented Great Britain Colleges and was a schoolboy county champion in the 100m, 200m and long jump.

Today, Rob is a WRU certified Level 1 Rugby Coach, an IRB certified Strength and Conditioning Coach and a UK Athletics certified Level 2 Athletics Coach. He enjoys cycling, rowing, and weight ligfting to keep himself fit.

His event specialisms are the sprints (60m to 400m) and the long jump.

Professionally, Rob is a qualified computer scientist and maintains 2 roles, one as Chief Digital Officer and the other as Chief Technology Officer..

He is very passionate about athletics, especially speed and power, and wants to help as many kids as possible to become as fast as they can be.

Oh, and he also created this website :-)

Hywel has a son in RVAC and has seen the club grow over the last four years. He started helping out with administration and now also supports the coaching team.

His past involvement in orienteering is a distant memory but running for Wales as teenager inspires him to encourage young athletes to fulfill their potential. These days his running consists of parkruns and the occasional 10k...when ferrying his children to endless athletics training and dance lessons allow!!!

Hywel is a level 1 UK Athletics coaching assistant helping with the Transition Group of under 11s and under 13s, including their administration.

He is also the club Membership Secretary - For membership enquiries which are not answered by our website 'How to Section' contact Hywel at hywel@rhymneyvalleyac.co.uk

Despite a lot of nagging, cajoling and friendly threats over the past few months the details of Gavin's bio are not yet available.

If you check back in a few weeks, the web site administrator will have made up an inventive, floral and almost certainly embarrassing version of Gavin's life to date.

Claire is a qualified Secondary PE teacher. She is now working for Sport Wales and RCT at Mountain Ash comprehensive school as a 5x60 officer.

Having enjoyed being an athlete for Rhymney Valley for over 15 years she felt it was time to give something back to the club and so took on the role as U11 head coach and will soon hold qualified coaching status.  

Claire is also the welfare officer for the club and in her spare time loves spending time with her family, playing hockey for Sue Noakes and singing in The Melody Makers choir!

Deb is a qualified secondary P.E teacher and has a keen interest in developing sport within the local community and Physical Literacy in children. She runs and plays Netball in her spare time.

She was a member of RVAC from 1988 to 1999 competing at middle distance and cross country events. The club provided her with the platform to compete at county and international level and she was both the U20's 800m Welsh Champion and Welsh Universities cross country champion.

She helped re-form the club with Caerphilly Sport in August 2013 and was eager to join the team in re-establishing the club at it's new home at Blackwood. She is the acting chair and Endurance coach and when planning sessions, she aims for physical literacy to play a vital role in establishing athletes' skills for the future as well as ensuring athletes learn in a fun environment.

Deb is a Level 2 athletics coach and Level 2 field official 

I am a multi events coach with a specilist interest in high jump and disability sports.

I strive for inclusion and participation in athletics with a strong emphasis on the fundamental skills of run jump throw in all events. This ensures I make sure the athletes have fun and progress regardless of competition results. I use all aspects of sport and fitness in training sessions to maximise the skill set of the athlete and provide them with skills in all areas to avoid early specialisation.

I think it is important to be a role model to athletes of all ages and encourage wellbeing practices as part of training, not just so athletes can identify their own wellbeing needs but that of their peers.

Coaching milestones: Having young athletes who had no confidence in their ability to take part in an event. Participating as a coach in regional high Jump development days. 

Aspiration as a coach: To continue to gain knowledge in the sport and become a more competent coach in all aspects of the events. Change practice to encourage athletes to do more than one event at an early age. To encourage girls to take part in sport and empower confidence in body image and self-esteem.

Despite a lot of nagging, cajoling and friendly threats over the past few months the details of Marie's bio are not yet available.

If you check back in a few weeks, the web site administrator will have made up an inventive, floral and almost certainly embarrassing version of Marie's life to date.