Taunton School student Isla Winslow has been selected for the GB Biathle European Championships this June in Germany.
Isla, from Norfolk, picked up the sport (which involves both swimming and running) at age 12 and has been training ever since. Isla previously qualified for the championship in 2021, but missed out on the competition after it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Taunton School has been supporting Isla’s training since she joined the school’s Sixth Form in 2021 with a sports scholarship. She studies BTEC Sport and Exercise Science alongside her full training schedule which includes over 10 hours of athletics and swimming training a week, as well as strength and conditioning sessions.
The school is well-known for its success in both the biathle and triathle. Last year, three athletes from the prep and senior schools were crowned official world champions at the 2022 World Biathle and Triathle Championships in Madeira.
Tim Thompson, Taunton School’s Head of Strength and Conditioning, has been working with Isla for the past two years. Speaking of her success, Tim said, “Isla has shown huge commitment to her training. She attends two 1:1 strength and conditioning sessions a week on top of her running programme. She should be very proud of her achievement.”
Isla’s advice for anyone wanting to get involved with biathle is, “give it your best shot. Work hard, train hard, and eventually it will pay off!”
Isla has offers to study at top UK universities next, including the Universities of Bath and Exeter. The University of Bath has been home to Pentathlon GB’s National Training Centre since 1998. Through studying Sport and Exercise Science, Isla will further her professional development and sport theory.