Blue Coat pupils had a real treat when World Champion silver medallist and Olympian Hannah England joined them on the athletics track for a masterclass.
Athlete Hannah England is a product of Dame Kelly Holmes’ mentoring scheme and she produced a finish the two-time Olympic champion would have been proud of in winning World Championship 1500m silver in 2011. Hannah, who is married to fellow athlete Luke Gunn, went out in the semi-finals at London 2012 but bounced back to claim fourth in the 2013 World Championships.
Hannah took the children through some running drills and then with the middle distance runners she discussed 800m and how you should approach the race. In a Q&A session, Hannah told us that she had started running at the age of 11 years and trains six time a week, twice a day, clocking up about 60 miles per week! Hannah spoke about her experience representing GB in the home Olympics in 2012 and said that the noise and support from the crowd was amazing!
An alumnus of Birmingham University, Hannah has recently started up the Birmingham Athletics Academy with fellow international athletes Dean Miller and Nicola Sykes on Wednesdays, 5-6.30pm at the new university athletics track. The Academy is aimed at 10 – 16 year olds, offering elite coaching in track and field with the aim of identifying the stars of the future. Further information is available via www.birminghamathleticsacademy.com.
