I have been a high jumper for around 15 years, with my first competitive season in 2010. I first tried high jump at school, which led me to join my local athletic club, aged 14. I caught the bug for high jump; something about leaping into the air as high as you can really appealed to me. A few years later I went on to work at the Julie Rose Stadium as an athletics coach. I had the privilege of working with a diverse group of people, ranging from toddlers to the elderly. It was incredibly rewarding to see them enjoying sport and improving their fitness.
What are your sporting achievements to date?
I was selected to represent England (my first national vest) at the Hustopecske Skakani – a high jump only meeting in the Czech Republic – in 2016. I finished in second place in the senior women’s B category. In 2014, I competed in the Eberstadt high jump only meeting in Germany, placing 3rd in the women’s B category. I have competed in the British Outdoor Championships five times, with a best of 4th place in 2015, and three British Indoor Championships, equaling my personal best of 1.80m and placing 6th in 2020.
Over the years I have won eight medals at the SEAA South of England Outdoor Championships, including two golds, and eight medals at the Indoor Southern Championships, including four golds. I have been Kent County Outdoor Champion on 13 occasions, including ten consecutive years, across three age groups, and I have won the Kent Indoor championships seven times. I am the current Southern Athletics League Division 2 record holder with a jump of 1.79m.
How has the FANS scheme helped you reach where you are now?
I have been a member of the FANS scheme since 2012 and during this time the scheme has made a huge difference to me. The support of the FANS scheme has enabled me to access training facilities at the Julie Rose Stadium on an unrestricted basis without concerns around the financial cost. This freedom to train has given me the opportunity to improve my standard of athletics beyond the levels which would otherwise have been possible.
This is a fantastic scheme for local sportspeople and has the potential to enhance your training and performance, along with your enjoyment of top level sports. I feel incredibly fortunate to have had this support over the last 12 years and I would like to say a very heart-felt thank you to those who make this scheme possible
What are your hopes and dreams for the future?
I have come a long way in my journey as an athlete; I have met lots of inspirational people and made many friends. I have travelled to different places and I have built some valuable life skills through sport. A couple of years ago I had early stage ovarian cancer and the mental resilience I gained as an athlete was absolutely vital to me during that time. The NHS and my doctors were fantastic and I am pleased to say I am now fully healthy – it is very treatable if caught early.
Now at the age of 30 and with other commitments, I consider myself to be more of a recreational athlete rather than a serious one. I intend to continue enjoying my athletics and in years to come I hope to continue competing at a county level. I would love to become Kent Champion a few more times! (Photo Credits – George Atkins, Peter Milsom, Peter Davey)
