In a year of GCSE revision and important exams Katie James a Year 11 student at Sturminster Newton High School has still found time for her athletics training, if not with as greater intensity as usual.

Katie has been training at Bath University as well as her club, Yeovil Olympiads, and for the second year running Katie is Dorset Schools’ Intermediate Girls' (U17) Pole Vault Champion, having already improved her PB to 3.07m (a schools National Standard).

Last weekend Katie participated in the ESSA Championships in Birmingham and she had been pushing 3.20m in training, which would have won the silver medal on the day, however she jumped 2.85m, resulting in somewhat of a disappointment for her.  The juggling of exams and squeezing in training has taken its toll this season. Reflecting on this year, Katie’s goal for the remainder of the season is to get over 3m consistently, then use winter training to build for next season. 

The 2012 ESSA Championships will be one of the main warm-up events in the London Olympic Stadium, which would be her last year in schools' athletics, so there is every incentive to train hard to secure selection over the next couple of years  ... unless she's in the main event, of course .... !  

Our best wishes go to Katie for now and the future and hopefully a great crop of GCSE grades will make the school year finish with success!