Drayton mine employees showed their skills in the sea, on two-wheels and pounding the pavement on the weekend when more than 30 team members and their families participated in the annual Newcastle Triathlon Festival.

Proudly wearing running T-Shirts with the clear message, Drayton South – Our Future, emblazoned across their backs, the Drayton entrants joined with more than 3000 competitors to complete the Sunday triathlon component of the three-day event.

Drayton mine Business Improvement Officer Darren Slade said for more than 15 years Drayton mine has participated in the Newcastle Triathlon Festival which has raised more than $450,000 for local charities including the Hunter Medical Research Institute.

“While it’s become somewhat of a tradition for Drayton mine to enter a team into the Newcastle Tri, this year was even more exciting thanks to the enthusiasm our employees and their family members showed when they turned up to represent the company and promote the Drayton South project,” Darren said.

“Pleasingly, we saw quite a few new entrants this year, with Drayton’s HealthyMates program encouraging a number of employees to take control of their health and wellbeing, set themselves a personal goal and give the triathlon a go.

“With a number of different individual and team courses to select, from an Olympic distance tri to a Classic tri to an Enticer which includes a 500 metre swim, 10 kilometre cycle and a five kilometre run, this year’s Newcastle Tri offered plenty of choice for our team members to challenge themselves.

“I’d like to extend special congratulations to Overburden Coordinator Peter Adams, Commercial Manager Patrick Clancy and Patrick’s wife Penny who won the Enticer Mixed team category.

“It was also great to see Stakeholder Engagement Specialist Matt Frodsham, Surveyor Nick Baillieu and Emergency Response Officer Martin Ryan finishing second in the Olympic Corporate Men’s team division,” Darren said.

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