The Team Leicestershire Talent Ambassadors & Athletes aim to blog about their competitions and training sessions at around once a month to keep us at Active Together updated on their progress.
Clicking on an athlete will also give you access to their individual profile and updates.
March, 2023
Last weekend I raced the Cicle classic. This race is known for being the hardest race on the calendar due to its unrelenting terrain and off road sectors. I was surprised by my performance as I made it to the finish in 44th. Out of the 120 women who started 1/3 finish as the race is so hard. I am proud to have finished and this is a good sign for the season.
More Information: onform-racing.co.uk
Last weekend me and my new crew Bob took to the water to do our first competitive event. With only one weekend of training together and a new hull I have to admit I was very nervous. It was a very strong fleet with all the top pairings from across the country attending.
Saturday was windy, racing was postponed, but eventually managed 3 races. A good start with a 3rd place but with a few rigging issues we couldn't fix on the water our other races saw us drop a few places.
Sunday was windy but manageable. We did 4 races. Our performance improved as we settled in to racing together.
6th overall but with only 1 point separating 3rd to 6th we were happy with our first GP results.
We have identified what we need to work on and are looking forward to seeing what we can achieve in the coming months.
More Information: draycotewater.co.uk
I was nervous and excited to finally being able to swim my first full open meet in nearly 4 months. After my knee injury.
I really enjoy racing at Ponds Forge in Sheffield, I have some lovely memories!
Friday night I swam the 800m Freestyle. Really pleased with my PB and a Silver medal 🥈
Saturday and Sunday I swam a mix of events. Some PB's and some I was disappointed with.
I made the finals for the 100m and 200m Butterfly.
The 200m Butterfly Final I improved my time from the heats by 2 seconds and won a gold medal 🥇
Jessica 😃
A week end of racing at Ponds Forge where I competed in the 100m,200m,400m Freestyle and the 50m,100m,200m Butterfly. I achieved personal best times in the 200m,400m Freestyle and the 100m,200m Butterfly. I made finals to the 100m Butterfly and I came home with a bronze medal in the 400m Freestyle in the category of 15yrs and over. Overall, I am happy with my swims but there is always room for improvement. I am now looking forward to this upcoming weekend of short course racing with the City of Leicester Meet.
A very busy weekend saw an early start on Saturday racing at Ponds Forge in Sheffield, competing in the 200m back, 50m back and 200m IM. I had 2 good personal bests and was delighted to make the final in the 200 IM, not an easy feat, as I was swimming in the 15 years and over category and still 14. A great experience and was able to have another go at the IM race tactics I discussed with my coach Harry before hand.
Sunday I performed in my annual dance show, back in Leicester, which was a complete contrast to racing! I showcased; ballet, tap, jazz and acrobatics with my favourite being the hand walks in the acrobatics.
No rest, up at 4.15am for training this morning and continued prep for the upcoming British Championships.
On March the 12th I competed in the British Schools Championships. I won a silver medal after a long day of fighting in Sheffield. This was not the result I wanted, but it was a great achievement nonetheless and I will continue to train hard and aim for success in my future competitions.
I was recently given the opportunity to represent my country in Denmark in the Matsumae Cup. This was a great experience in which I achieved 5th place. I then went on to complete a 2 day training camp, with over 300 Judoka from over 20 countries including Sweden, Denmark, Canada and Japan.
The team and coaches made it a brilliant experience and I am looking forward to continuing my journey in the England Under 21's Squad.
Exciting to start the season with a trip to Spain with GB. Now for some good training ready for a solid season ahead!
I had the opportunity to attend Squad Training which was held in Weedon, Northamptonshire and spar other boxers from other clubs.
I continue to train hard so that I am ready should a bout be offered at the last minute.
I thought I would be writing about my experience at the European Indoor Championships which were due to be held in Samsum, Turkey in this month's blog. However a week before I was due to fly out, Turkey was hit by a devastating earthquake. After initially postponing the competition the organisers eventually made the difficult decision to cancel. Whilst this was obviously the correct decision under the circumstances and my thoughts were with all those affected, it was still tinged with disappointment as I had worked hard throughout the indoor season to qualify and prepare for this competition. My focus is now on preparing for the outdoor season which starts in April and one of my first competitions will be the European Grand Prix.
#proud to be a 2023 TLT Ambassador
I had a fantastic time competing at the 72nd ESSA championships at the weekend.
I swam hard and was able to claim the bronze medal positions in both the 200m and 400m Individual Medley events.
I managed pb's in both events too and also achieved the qualifying time for the 400m IM at the British Championships next month in Sheffield.
The weekend flew by, and I had a great time representing the East Midlands and making new friends in the county.
I've just got back from Istanbul where I competed as part of the 4 x 400m relay team For GB. It was another amazing experience leading out my country and I was very pleased with how my leg went.
I've had a very successful indoor season with a win, indoor PB And meeting record at a World indoor Tour Bronze meet in Dortmund Germany, a 2nd place at another World indoor tour bronze Meet in Manchester. A silver medal at The British indoor Championships and selection for GB for the European indoor champ for the 4 x 400m relay.
A few days rest and then back to training getting ready for the outdoor season!
The start of 2023 wasn't what I had planned!
Late January I fell on my right knee whilst playing netball at school. After a visit to A&E I was given crutches and told to rest.
I had 3 weeks off training, but continued to do my exercises set by my physio.
3 weeks ago I returned back to swimming, the first 2 weeks on reduced sessions.
Last night I tested out how strong my knee was when I competed in the Winter League gala for my base club - Leicester Sharks.
It was lovely to get back to competition swimming, after having to pull out of 2 events in January and February.
Looking forward now to next weekend where I will be swimming for East Midlands in the ESSA event.
Jessica 😀
For more information please contact:
Matt Hackfath
Development Officer (Children & Young People)
Active Together
I am working flexibly in the office or at home, therefore please contact me via email or phone number provided.
My areas of responsibility are:
- Telephone
- 01509 467484
- m.hackfath@active-together.org
