Sitting behind the polished glass doors of the trophy cabinet in the Bell Room sits a very special cup; the Caxton-Spencer Cup, donated to the school by Old Bedfordian Roddy Caxton-Spencer (73-78) to recognise outstanding athletic achievement by current boys.
This year, and for the second year running, the Caxton-Spencer Cup was awarded to Upper Sixth Former Caleb Sanders for his exceptional athletic achievements in school. This recognition was made even more poignant by the fact that Roddy sadly passed away last autumn after a long battle with cancer.
During his school years, Roddy was an outstanding athlete, both on the rugby pitch and on the track and it was this passion for sport that inspired Roddy to create a cup in his legacy. When presenting the cup for the first time, Roddy explained, “Achieving extraordinary things is not the domain of the super-rich or the super famous – we’re all capable of it. It’s a question of persuading yourself you can, then getting out there, focussing, working hard and just doing it!”
OB Roddy Caxton-Spencer (73-78) presenting medal at a former Bedford School sports day.
Caleb, who is the latest recipient of the cup and whose name is now engraved on the cup for the second time in a row, is in esteemed company with previous winners, including OB Stephen Simmons (16-21), OB Will Barnes (11-19) and OB Joe Rogers (12-17), who Caleb has looked up to for many years.
Caleb was awarded the cup for his performances on the rugby pitch and also the track – very similar, in fact, to Roddy. Caleb’s forte is in sprinting, both 100 metres and 200 metres, along with the long jump and triple jump – in fact, anything to do with speed! He was in the 1st XV and 1st XI in both Lower and Upper Sixth and has also had much success with badminton and swimming.
Caleb explained, “I love all sports, and I am so honoured that I have been recognised. Winning the cup in the Lower Sixth was a big shock and made me feel very appreciated for my sport. To win an all-round athletics award, I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, this is big!’ and then I was so glad and honoured to retain the title in the Upper Sixth as I knew I was up against so many other very qualified boys.”
Music is also a big art of Caleb’s life. He has played trombone since age three and is up to Grade 8. He also continues to sing, a love that he nurtured while on a choral scholarship at Kings College, Cambridge.
Caleb explained that he would like sport to be at the forefront of whatever career path he chooses and, whilst he is keeping his options open for now, his next step will be to study Sports and Exercise Science at university. 