Gillingham School are celebrating the success of one of their talented athletes, Matthew Curtis currently in Year 8. Over the weekend of 21/22 March Matthew competed at the National Sportshall Athletics championships at the NEC Birmingham and turned in a gold medal winning performance in the High Jump event. His distance of 1.54 was a personal best and tied with another competitor but he was declared the winner on countback of failed heights as he had cleared the bar on all previous attempts whereas his rival had not.

Matthew said the wait was the worst bit of the day: “I didn’t know I’d won for a while, but when it was announced I was the champion it was just amazing!” Matthew is shown wearing his medal and commemorative T shirt signed by Olympic pentathlete Kelly Southerton, the special guest for the day.

Matthew is a committed athlete who trains regularly under the watchful eye of coach Peter Impet at Wimborne AC and is a key member of the North Dorset Athletics training group, organised by Trudi Carter.

As well as High Jump he is a talented hurdler, and this success will give him a boost as he prepares for the outdoor season.

Matthew, a former pupil at Wyke School Gillingham showed potential 2 years ago when he attended the Gillingham family Indoor Athletics training sessions, which were funded by the Lottery and organised through the North Dorset School Sport Partnership. He went on to represent the Partnership at the Dorset championships, an event which the Partnership team won on that occassion, so he is used to the role of champion!

Rosie Thompson, SSCo Gillingham family