Where are they now?

Katie Edwards – Teachers Edition

Growing up, my favourite thing to do in the world was simply playing sport. My parents encouraged me to try just about everything on offer, but Athletics, Swimming and Netball quickly became my favourites. Looking back, it’s no surprise that my love of sport naturally led me into a career in it.

I completed a Bachelor of Education in Human Movement and became a PE teacher, beginning what would be a wonderful 21-year career at MLC School in Burwood. I absolutely loved teaching and working with young people, helping them discover the joy of being active, building confidence, and creating lifelong memories through sport.

Along the way, I married my amazing husband Matt in 1998, and together we have two beautiful daughters, Kristie and Ashlie, who both grew up with a strong love of sport and being part of a team. Because of this, and Pymble’s reputation as a leader in school sport, we made the decision to send them to Pymble when the opportunity arose.

In 2016, I joined Pymble, bringing the chance to work much closer to home. At the time, Kristie and Ashlie were in Years 10 and 8 at Pymble, so it felt like the right moment for a new adventure. After more than two decades as a teacher, stepping into the newly created role of Sports Coordinator was a significant change, but one I embraced wholeheartedly.

In 2020, I was appointed Head of Sport 7–12, a role I continue to absolutely love. Every day is different, whether I’m supporting our coaches, developing sporting pathways, working with students to help them achieve their goals, or cheering on our teams from the sidelines. My aim is to create an environment where every girl can discover a love of sport, regardless of whether she aspires to compete at an elite level or simply wants to enjoy being active with her friends. I also love that Pymble offers such a wide range of sports, ensuring every girl can find her place and feel a sense of belonging.

Coaching has become a significant and deeply rewarding part of my life. One of the things I discovered early in my coaching journey was how much I loved helping athletes grow in confidence, overcome challenges, and achieve things they once thought were out of reach. What began with a love of helping athletes improve has developed into opportunities to work with some of Australia’s best athletes. Over the years, I have been fortunate to coach at national and international championships, including the World Para Championships and the Commonwealth Games. There is nothing quite like watching an athlete achieve a goal they have worked so hard for and being part of that moment.

This year has been particularly special, as I was selected as a Team Coach for the Australian Athletics Team at the Commonwealth Games. It is an incredible honour to represent Australia in a coaching capacity, and I have been very grateful for the encouragement and support of the Pymble community, which has enabled me to continue pursuing opportunities like this while leading sport at the College.

Some of my fondest memories at Pymble come from leading our World Schools Athletics teams. In 2017, we travelled to France and were crowned World Schools Champions, and in 2019 we travelled to Croatia where the team finished a close second behind Germany. What has made these experiences even more meaningful is seeing so many of those athletes continue their athletics journeys long after leaving Pymble. I still have the privilege of coaching several Pymble Alumni, including Olivia Inkster (2022), Samara Bond (2025), Alice Dixon (2021) and Sally Guthrie (2019). Watching these young women continue to pursue the sport they love is one of the most rewarding parts of my work.

This year, Alice earned selection in her first Australian team for the World Athletics Relays, while Samara was selected for the World Under 20 Championships. Olivia, meanwhile, was selected in 2025 for her second World Under 20 Championships and also represented Australia at the World University Games. Seeing former Pymble students achieve their dreams on the international stage is incredibly special and reinforces that the connections built through school sport last well beyond graduation.

One of the things I value most is watching young people grow in confidence through sport. Success is not always measured by medals or selection. Sometimes it is about having the courage to try something new, learning to work as part of a team, or building resilience after disappointment. These lessons often stay with us far longer than any result.

I feel incredibly fortunate that my career allows me to combine my two greatest passions: developing young people through school sport while continuing to coach athletes at the national and international level. It is a balance that keeps every year exciting and reminds me why I fell in love with sport in the first place.

People often ask what my greatest career achievement is, but for me it is not medals or teams. It is seeing a student who was once nervous to join a team grow into a confident young woman, or hearing from a former student years later still pursuing their sport and asking for guidance. Those relationships are what make this career so special.

Looking back, I feel very fortunate for the teachers, coaches and mentors who believed in me and shaped my journey. If someone had told the little girl who just loved playing sport that one day she would lead sport at Pymble, coach Australian teams and still be working with former students years after they’d graduated, I never would have believed them. I hope I can now do the same for the next generation of young women at Pymble.