“Looking back, I truly believe that my time at Grammar with its highs and lows, shaped me into the man I am today.”— Jeremy Peacock
Jeremy Peacock (2005 – 09) currently represents Australia in Paratriathlon.
Jeremy Peacock is ranked third in the world in the PTS4 Para category and his sights are set on selection for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. During Jeremy’s time at TGS he represented the School in numerous endeavours but was particularly known for his contributions to the Arts, particularly Music. On the sports field, Jeremy represented TGS in GPS Athletics, Cross Country, Cricket and Football.
After returning from a gap year in the UK teaching music at Port Regis School, Dorset, Jeremy attended Bond University completing a Bachelor of Commerce with further study to qualify as a Chartered Accountant (CA). He is currently an Associate Director at KPMG, one of Australia’s ‘Big 4’ accounting firms in Melbourne.
Jeremy was born three months premature and diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy which impairs the development of muscles and hinders co-ordination and neurological movements.
“This was probably not well known to the community during my time at TGS because I suppressed the diagnosis,” said Jeremy. “I did not consider myself to be impaired and I was determined to compete in all sports against my fellow able-bodied athletes.”
During his cross country days with Mr Mark Oliphant as his coach, Jeremy just wanted to beat everyone. “Yet in hindsight I was never on a level playing field,” he said. Jeremy’s time at TGS was constantly on the go, balancing schoolwork with music rehearsals and sport practice; there was never a dull moment in his very busy TGS life.
“I was not the best at everything; I wasn’t Dux nor a Prefect, but I was consistent and always put 100% into any challenge that came my way.”
It took several years for Jeremy to accept his impairment. However, with the support and literal badgering from his triathlon friends, in 2020 Jeremy was encouraged to approach the Australian Institute of Sport for classification.
“This was a defining moment. I was subsequently categorised as a Paratriathlete and from that moment a new doorway opened,” he stated.
Destined to compete overseas for the first time just as COVID struck taught him patience and belief to “trust the process”. In 2022, after relocating to Girona in Spain to train with the Australian team and race on the international circuit, Jeremy had his breakthrough, winning gold at the World Triathlon Para Series in Montreal, Canada. He also went on to place third at his first World Championships in Abu Dhabi, backing up two days later to anchor the Australian team to gold in the first ever mixed Paratriathlon relay.
To cap off an excellent initial season with a consistent string of results, Jeremy was awarded the Triathlon Australia Individual Paratriathlete Male Performance of the Year. He achieved all of this whilst working full-time. “Unfortunately, like many Para sports in Australia, Paratriathlon does not receive substantial funding nor prize money,” said Jeremy.
“Most of my funding is from my fulltime job whilst also training 25-30 hours a week.” Jeremy has continued his success into 2023, recently winning the PTS4 World Triathlon Para Series race in Devonport, Tasmania and is currently preparing for upcoming races in Europe and the United States, culminating in the World Championships to be held in Pontevedra, Spain this September.
His advice to current TGS boys:
“Become fully immersed in the TGS life as you will form some fond memories of your time at TGS.
“Do what makes you happy; it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else. Set your sights high, you never know what you are capable of.”— Jeremy Peacock
You can follow Jeremy's blog for updates and insights into his experiences leading up to the biggest race of his life.
Jeremy's Road to Paris 2024
Despite the challenges Jeremy has faced, he remains committed to giving his all in the pursuit of his Paralympic dream and now his sights are set on competing in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Read the latestLatest Blog
Introducing our new Deputy Head of Junior School (Teaching and Learning), Mrs Chantelle Bauer
Toowoomba Grammar School is excited to welcome our new Deputy Head of Junior School (Teaching and Learning), Mrs Chantelle Bauer. Mrs Bauer brings a wealth of experience and passion to her new role, having lived and worked in the Darling Downs and Southwest Queensland region her entire life. She was born and bred in St George, attended university in Toowoomba and took her first teaching role in Roma. She has worked in various roles across the region, including Year Level Coordinator, Head of…
You can't know a student without knowing where they come from
Boarding at Toowoomba Grammar School can be described as many things such as evolving identity, growing personally and developing character in your second home, but it is also about growing your family. Head of Boyce House boarding, Mr Michael Hall and his family, certainly enjoyed that opportunity over January. Catching up with a beautiful collection of current families from Boyce House was a privilege and has helped to build the relationships of trust and care that are essential in a…
DNF (Did Not Finish)
- Dan CrookHead of Library and Information Services I was talking books with a friend the other day; an avid reader, she had been looking for some light reads in new genre for the holidays, and so had sought out the wisdom of the internet. After watching a few BookToks (Tiktok book recommendations) she’d settled on some titles and begun to read. However after investing a good amount of her time and getting half way through the first and most highly recommended book, she asked herself, and then…
TGS Boarding - A Safe, Welcoming and Joyous Community
“From a boarding perspective, enabling young boys to flourish is only achieved within a community that is safe, welcoming, and joyous. These three aspects are at the core of my boarding philosophy and are closely aligned with my fundamental values as a boarding Head of House – acceptance, resilience, and fun,” explains Mr Henry White, Head of Corfe House. Corfe House serves as the entry point for Toowoomba Grammar School’s youngest boarders (Years 5 to 7) and the skills, relationships, and…
Transitioning to Year 7 at TGS
Can you remember your first day in secondary school? It can be a time of mixed feelings - very exciting, but also quite daunting and challenging. Irrespective of whether your son is joining us from the TGS Junior School, or if they are just starting at Toowoomba Grammar School, it can appear to be the start of a long journey. It is a rite of passage in many respects but with this comes increased emotions in response to transition. The boys have a lot to digest with a new, possibly larger campus…
The Boarding Journey
Every parent will have a unique journey with their son whilst he is boarding at Toowoomba Grammar School. I’m Kym Wright, mother of Clancy, who is in Year 12 and this is my journey…. From my very first experience with Toowoomba Grammar School Boarding ten years ago, I had a good feeling straight away that TGS would be the perfect fit for my son. I was picking up my nephew for lunch. He had started boarding at TGS just six weeks prior. It was pouring rain and there were boys enthusiastically…
Building Self-Confidence and Resilience in Year 7s
As your child enters the new and unknown world of secondary school, it is a very important time to nurture the confidence and self-esteem of your son. Adolescence can also be a time of bewildering physical changes and strong emotions, opinions and increasing independence. Nurturing their confidence, self-esteem and assertiveness will go a long way to helping them to have the self-belief to tackle difficult new academic challenges, to developing new friendships and social skills, and…
Introducing our new Head of Year 7 - Jodi Blades
My family moved from Brisbane to Toowoomba when I was ten years of age. I’ve lived here for most of my life, other than to study and begin my teaching career in Brisbane. I lived and worked in London for 18 months before returning to Toowoomba in 2001. With over 20 years’ experience teaching and leading pastoral care programs within independent day and boarding schools, I am dedicated to developing students holistically; the academic, social, emotional, cultural, and physical development of…
Holiday Reading Recommendations
Here is a snapshot; three titles from each year level, and from Head of Library and Information Services, Mr Dan Crook to inspire your choices for holiday reading: Year 7: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - The last Ronin. Hatchet - Gary Paulsen Billy Slaters autobiography - Billy Slater Year 8: The dead of the night (Tomorrow series) - James Marsden Rangers Apprentice The ruins of Gorlan - John Flannagan The Hunger games. -Suzanne Collins Year 9: Back to the Pillaga - Tony Parsons Deadpool Samurai…
