Life @ EA
tEA it up, Bradley Forbes-Cryans, Episode 4
This series of 30-minute interviews are with Accies who have been prominent in the world of sport, either on or off the field of play. Throughout the interviews, we will hear about the skills and life lessons they learned at the Edinburgh Academy to help them succeed in their chosen sports role. Whether as a player, a coach, a writer or an administrator, all will reflect on school life in and out of the classroom and their journey through sport as a career.
Series interviewer, Charles Runcie, was a pupil at the Academy, starting in Miss McKenzie’s Prep 4C at Arboretum Road in 1966, through to Mr Robertson’s VIII Mod class at Henderson Row, a decade later. He enjoyed a 34 year career working in sport at the BBC, joining at Radio Scotland’s Queen Margaret Drive in 1982 before heading south in 1987 to Broadcasting House and BBC Sport. He was latterly Head of Sport for English Regions, a role which as a Scot he always thought quite ironic.
This summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo involves at least one Team GB athlete with Academy roots. He’s the subject for our 4th Time for tEA interview, our monthly series of interviews with Accies who have excelled in the sporting world. 25-year-old Bradley Forbes-Cryans was an excellent all-round sportsman, coming to the School on a sports scholarship, but his passion has always been canoe kayaking, ever since he went on a week’s try-out course aged 9, then watching the 2004 Olympics in Athens. With standards so high, how did Forbes manage to qualify for Team GB back in 2019?
Next in the series for March, topical given the Six Nations rugby on at present, will be the EA’s most successful rugby player – Accies, Scotland and twice British and Irish Lions International Rodger Arneil.
If you missed the last episode with Andy Mitchell, you can view it here.
