Toby Sandeman
Encyclopedia
Toby Sandeman is an English fashion model and sprint
athlete, specialising in the 200 metres
. He won the 200 m at the UK Athletics
national championships in 2009, and followed this with two gold medals at the European Athletics U23 Championships
. He has modelled for Calvin Klein
, Ralph Lauren
, and worked with Naomi Campbell
for Vogue
magazine.
, London, Sandeman was introduced to athletics from an early age: his family enjoyed the feats of former British sprinter Linford Christie
. He lived in Barbados
from the age of 6 to 15 and returned to England on a rugby
scholarship with Downside School
. He found himself more drawn to athletics competitions, however, and competed at the English Schools' Athletics Championships. He failed to pass the first round and, as he advanced through the age groups, victory never came. In spite of this, he remained passionate about the sport and a chance training opportunity with childhood hero Christie arose when his mother won a competition. After the session, Christie recommended his old coach, Ron Roddan
, to Sandeman. He trained with Roddan through his teens and competed in the 200 metres
at the UK Athletics
national championships in 2008. A hamstring
injury forced him to withdraw but he vowed to his coach that he would return and win the following year.
, a renowned hairdresser
, was a family friend and had suggested he try modelling. Despite his initial reluctance, Sandeman went on to work for Ralph Lauren
, Calvin Klein
, and did a Vogue
photoshoot with Naomi Campbell
. This work enabled him to save up enough money to focus on just his athletics career for a whole year. He returned to the national championships in 2009 and fulfilled his promise to his coach, beating Marlon Devonish
, Christian Malcolm
, and then-European leader Jeffrey Lawal-Balogun
to take the 200 m national title. Having a previous best of a modest 20.96 seconds before the championships, his 20.69 s performance in the final was a surprise victory.
His winning time was short of the A qualification time for the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
, and Christie recommended that he compete at the 2009 European Athletics U23 Championships
. Sandeman again defied expectation by winning two gold medals at his first major international competition. German athlete Aleixo-Platini Menga was the favourite but Sandeman recorded a new personal best of 20.37 to win. Not only was this a third of a second faster than his previous best, but it was also the leading time in Europe over the 200 m, earning him qualification for the World Championships. On the final day of the competition, he ran the 4×100 metres relay with British team mates Ryan Scott
, Rion Pierre and Leevan Yearwood, to take his second gold of the competition.
He was named in the 2009 World Championships Team GB
squad, but had to withdraw due to a lack of fitness and a foot problem.
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
athlete, specialising in the 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
. He won the 200 m at the UK Athletics
UK Athletics
UK Athletics is the governing body for the sport of athletics in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for overseeing the governance of athletics events in the UK as well as athletes, their development, and athletics officials....
national championships in 2009, and followed this with two gold medals at the European Athletics U23 Championships
2009 European Athletics U23 Championships
The 7th European Athletics U23 Championships were held between 16 and 19 July 2009 in the S. Darius and S. Girėnas Stadium in Kaunas, Lithuania.-Men's Results:-Women's Results:-Medal table:-References:General...
. He has modelled for Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
, Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
, and worked with Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell is a British model. Scouted at the age of 15, she established herself among the top three most recognisable and in-demand models of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and she was one of six models of her generation declared "supermodels" by the fashion world...
for Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
magazine.
Early life
Born in HammersmithHammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
, London, Sandeman was introduced to athletics from an early age: his family enjoyed the feats of former British sprinter Linford Christie
Linford Christie
Linford Cicero Christie OBE is a former sprinter from the United Kingdom. He is the only British man to have won gold medals in the 100 metres at all four major competitions open to British athletes: the Olympic Games, the World Championships, the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games...
. He lived in Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
from the age of 6 to 15 and returned to England on a rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
scholarship with Downside School
Downside School
Downside School is a co-educational Catholic independent school for children aged 11 to 18, located in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, between Norton Radstock and Shepton Mallet in Somerset, south west England. It is attached to Downside Abbey...
. He found himself more drawn to athletics competitions, however, and competed at the English Schools' Athletics Championships. He failed to pass the first round and, as he advanced through the age groups, victory never came. In spite of this, he remained passionate about the sport and a chance training opportunity with childhood hero Christie arose when his mother won a competition. After the session, Christie recommended his old coach, Ron Roddan
Ron Roddan
Ron Roddan was the coach of Linford Christie OBE, the former sprinter from the United Kingdom, who he began coaching in 1979. A former Civil Service laboratory assistant, Roddan was himself a sprinter in the Fifties and Sixties. During his coaching career, he has had more than 30 athletes selected...
, to Sandeman. He trained with Roddan through his teens and competed in the 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
at the UK Athletics
UK Athletics
UK Athletics is the governing body for the sport of athletics in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for overseeing the governance of athletics events in the UK as well as athletes, their development, and athletics officials....
national championships in 2008. A hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
injury forced him to withdraw but he vowed to his coach that he would return and win the following year.
Modelling and breakthrough season
Sandeman's modelling career had blossomed by this point: Trevor SorbieTrevor Sorbie
Trevor John Sorbie MBE , is a British celebrity hairdresser.-Career:Born in Scotland, his parents moved south when he was aged 11. Dropping out of school aged 15, Sorbie started cutting hair as an apprentice to his father in Ilford in 1964...
, a renowned hairdresser
Hairdresser
Hairdresser is a term referring to anyone whose occupation is to cut or style hair in order to change or maintain a person's image. This is achieved using a combination of hair coloring, haircutting, and hair texturing techniques...
, was a family friend and had suggested he try modelling. Despite his initial reluctance, Sandeman went on to work for Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
, Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
, and did a Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
photoshoot with Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell is a British model. Scouted at the age of 15, she established herself among the top three most recognisable and in-demand models of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and she was one of six models of her generation declared "supermodels" by the fashion world...
. This work enabled him to save up enough money to focus on just his athletics career for a whole year. He returned to the national championships in 2009 and fulfilled his promise to his coach, beating Marlon Devonish
Marlon Devonish
Marlon Ronald Devonish, MBE is an English sprint athlete.He is a member of the Coventry Godiva Harriers athletics club and is coached by Tony Lester. Early in his career he was successful at both 100 and 200 metre distances, winning English Schools and European Junior titles at both, but in recent...
, Christian Malcolm
Christian Malcolm
Christian Sean Malcolm is a Welsh athlete, specialising in the 200m.Malcolm was born in Cardiff and resides in Newport, Wales. He won the title of World Junior Athlete of the Year in 1998 and in the 1998 World Junior Championships, he won the 200m in 20.44 seconds...
, and then-European leader Jeffrey Lawal-Balogun
Jeffrey Lawal-Balogun
Jeffrey Lawal-Balogun is a London-based British track athlete. Balogun began his career when he joined Kent AC at the age of 19. Balogun competes across 60m 100m and 200m distances, and has represented Great Britain at U23 and Senior level...
to take the 200 m national title. Having a previous best of a modest 20.96 seconds before the championships, his 20.69 s performance in the final was a surprise victory.
His winning time was short of the A qualification time for the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
, and Christie recommended that he compete at the 2009 European Athletics U23 Championships
2009 European Athletics U23 Championships
The 7th European Athletics U23 Championships were held between 16 and 19 July 2009 in the S. Darius and S. Girėnas Stadium in Kaunas, Lithuania.-Men's Results:-Women's Results:-Medal table:-References:General...
. Sandeman again defied expectation by winning two gold medals at his first major international competition. German athlete Aleixo-Platini Menga was the favourite but Sandeman recorded a new personal best of 20.37 to win. Not only was this a third of a second faster than his previous best, but it was also the leading time in Europe over the 200 m, earning him qualification for the World Championships. On the final day of the competition, he ran the 4×100 metres relay with British team mates Ryan Scott
Ryan Scott
Ryan Scott is an English sprint runner from Henleaze who competes in the 100 metres.His first international appearances for Great Britain came in 2007. He ran in the 60 metres at the 2007 European Athletics Indoor Championships, but was disqualified in the final while his running mates Jason...
, Rion Pierre and Leevan Yearwood, to take his second gold of the competition.
He was named in the 2009 World Championships Team GB
Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
Great Britain and Northern Ireland is competing at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15–23 August. UK Athletics announced a team of 60 athletes in July in preparation for the competition, although it was known that some athletes might not compete due to injury...
squad, but had to withdraw due to a lack of fitness and a foot problem.
Personal bests
| Event | Best (seconds) | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 metres 60 metres 60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes... |
7.16 | Uxbridge Uxbridge Uxbridge is a large town located in north west London, England and is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. It forms part of the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is located west-northwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres... , England |
21 January 2006 |
| 100 metres 100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896... |
10.26 | Claremont, California Claremont, California Claremont is a small affluent college town in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population as of the 2010 census is 34,926. Claremont is known for its seven higher-education institutions, its... , United States |
4 April 2009 |
| 200 metres 200 metres A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first... |
20.37 | Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation... , Lithuania Lithuania Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark... |
18 July 2009 |
| 400 metres 400 metres The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and... |
49.6 | Kingston, Cambridgeshire Kingston, Cambridgeshire Kingston is a small village and parish in the East of England region and the county Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom. Situated 7 miles to the west of Cambridge, the population at the time of the 2001 census was 214.... , England |
15 April 2006 |
External links
- Power of 10 profile for Toby Sandeman