Debbie takes on Olympian challenge (From Western Telegraph)

Debbie takes on Olympian challenge

1:00pm Sunday 22nd July 2012 in News

A Pembrokeshire woman is taking on the task of training a huge team for this year’s Olympic Games.

But Debbie Gradwell, of Tenby, won’t be looking for medals or records from the London event – just the satisfaction of knowing she has helped to keep the massive crowds and contestants safe.

For 31-year-old Debbie is working to train the Welsh division of the 16,000 security team at the games.

A former A-level student at Pembrokeshire College, where she has recently been studying for a PGCE (post graduate certificate of education), Debbie also runs her own business, West Wales Events, which provides trained security personnel to regional and national events. It was while on a course to gain extra security qualifications that she met Mark Barber, the national manager for Enterprise Security and Safety Training Ltd, who approached her to help him train the UK Olympic security team.

Previous studies of performing arts and psychology have also been useful tools to boost Debbie’s training skills, as well as her PGCE course, from which she graduated at St David’s Cathedral last week.

“I am training many different personalities from diverse backgrounds, and the PGCE has helped me to identify subtle differences in how individuals want to be trained,” said Debbie.

“I love the challenge of training people, and hope to progress to a master’s in education in the future.”