Oundle School pupil and modern pentathlete, Jess Varley (17), who has been fast-tracked as a future British Olympian after being handpicked to join the Lloyds TSB Local Heroes initiative, recently took part in the British Tetrathlon Championships held in Solihull and run by Pentathlon GB.
The disciplines involved Swimming 200m, Fencing (a "one hit competition") and then the competitors were seeded on the points they had achieved in these two disciplines, before they went into the combined event of running and shooting.
Jess swam 2 min 22secs in her swim heat, the 5th best swim; she then fenced really well achieving 12 victories and 11 defeats which was the 5th best fence.
Jess commented, “My fencing result was particularly pleasing as it was a great improvement on previous competitions where my fencing has not been my strongest discipline and I have lost valuable points. Undoubtedly the coaching Chris Howser has been giving me at the Oundle Club is starting to pay dividends!”
These two results meant that Jess was seeded 6th overall and started the 3000m combined runshoot 51 secs behind first place and 40 secs behind 2nd.
The format for the run shoot was that competitors started at their allocated time and ran into the shooting range shooting five targets down. They then ran 1000m; shot again; ran1000m shot
again; and ran the final1000m. Jess was 4th after the first run; 3rd after the second run and finished
2nd after the final run having made up 40secs!
Jess concluded, “It was a very exciting competition and has given me confidence for the Great Britain team trials at the beginning of May"
Jess also recently finished 6th in the Public Schools Fencing Championships at Crystal Palace on 21 March this year, a considerable improvement on her 19th position last year.
Jess is a member of Peterborough Athletic Club, Burghley Pony Club, Oundle, Peterborough and Stamford Fencing Club (recently set up by Jess’ fencing coach Chris Howser) and Oundle and District Swimming Club.