FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Peter Sarellas Loves What He Does
Running in Place
BY LAUREN ALPERN
Peter Sarellas can’t sit still, so it’s no surprise that he loves his job as a Physical Education teacher. And this September, he will be celebrating 25 years at the College, making him the latest member of the Order of the Dragon. As much as Peter loves movement, he says he doesn’t feel like he has just spent 25 years at the same place. “It really doesn’t seem like 25 years – it has flown by. I always joke around that I don’t have a job. I get to hang around with kids, teach them how to play sports and have a little more faith in their abilities,” said Peter, who started out teaching geography part-time, then moved to phys ed and geography, before adding science to the mix. “It’s not about being a star athlete, it’s about their effort. It’s a thrill when a non-athlete comes in and figures out that they’re not horrible. Those are the kids that I really like to reach: the self-proclaimed bad athletes who leave feeling good about themselves. It’s been a really quick 25 years of that.” Peter taught geography for four years and Grade 10 science for three years. After about eight years, he began writing some of the phys ed curriculum, and served as the Head of Phys Ed for over 10 years. Peter worked hard to grow the sections, introducing kinesiology, a course for elite athletes and a personal fitness course. His real baby, however, has been the Fitness Technology Centre, otherwise known as the FTC.
“We knew we needed more space,” said Peter. “I had the concept of what I wanted the FTC to look like. My goal was to introduce heart rate monitors on the treadmills, bikes and steps, and get the boys’ cardio health to improve,” said Peter, who has noticed that boys have been getting in better shape over his 25-year run at the College. “I also took over the 12-minute run around the block. We do that outside in the spring and fall, and in the winter, they do the heart rate runs in the FTC.” The FTC has become very popular for the RSGC community, with athletes and other students, teachers, former staff and even some alumni coming by to use the facility. “It gets used a fair amount by a good population of the boys – we get a pretty good mix. We get the soccer players, hockey players and rugby players in there training, and some non-athletic guys in there too,” said Peter, who has coached rugby, volleyball, soccer, cross country and basketball at RSGC. “Some guys have a goal and want to improve their personal fitness. It’s nice to see that some of them have bought in, that it has become more of a lifestyle thing, not just something they had to do in Grade 9 gym class. We’re also starting to bring in the Grade 7s and 8s, so they’re getting exposed to it earlier.” Of course, as someone who needs to constantly stay active, Peter loves that he is having a positive impact on the physical wellness of the students.
“Physical fitness has really become an important part of the boys’ time at RSGC. When I first arrived at the school, there was more focus on playing games, but our courses are more focused on lifestyle now. They’re not going to play basketball or soccer for the next 40 years, but they can work out or run or do judo,” said Peter. “We introduce them to a variety of sports and they learn the rules, and once they reach Grade 11 or 12, we encourage them to have a more active lifestyle. It’s like being a parent: we introduce them to a bunch of things and let them choose what they want to do. The last thing we want is guys to sit at a desk for hours a day and not be active.” Peter’s wife Rosie, who describes Peter as caring, a comedian, athletic and a thinker with strong integrity, is so happy that her high school sweetheart has found a place where he is happy. “It’s really amazing, and I have to say, he loves it. He’s so committed to his work and the Fitness Technology Centre especially. He really seems to have found his thing and he’s perfectly suited for where he is,” said Rosie, who is also a teacher. “He gets positive feedback from the boys as well, so it’s good. It’s pretty wonderful that you can stay in one place for so long and still love what you do.” Peter loves it so much that he doesn’t plan on going anywhere even when he is able to retire in two years’ time.
“I love working with kids. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I’d still be doing this,” he said. “It’s a great place. I feel like I haven’t had a job in 25 years.” The COVID-19 pandemic has added a wrinkle to Peter’s usual way of teaching phys ed, but he has managed to find ways to get boys active from afar. Peter had the boys doing circuit training workouts, so he asked them to create brief videos of themselves doing a circuit, or doing a creative home exercise. They also had to complete three different workouts they found online. The boys also created their own 20-minute workout videos, focusing on a component of fitness like cardio, strength, flexibility or endurance, or for a specific sport like basketball, volleyball or strength training. Of course, the pandemic has been difficult for a man who has a hard time sitting still. “I’m going kind of nuts at home. I have limited workout gear and a dingy, dusty basement, so I’ve mixed up weight workouts, lots of walks with Rosie and my daughters, and even a few runs, which are not great for my back,” said Peter. “Luckily, we have a large cottage property where I’ve been able to get away for a few days at a time and burn off energy cutting wood, doing renos and general clean-up lakeside. It’s been cold, but lets me burn off energy. Also, a few things on the to-do list at home are finally getting done.”