Author Archives: Will

Thanks to the Jack Bloor Fund for helping me attend this course. I have been attending navigation courses over the last few years with Lee from SMT Outdoors in Ramsbottom.  Over time we have discussed a range of activities, awards and volunteering of which I would love to take part in.  One of which wasContinue reading “2020, Navigation Training, Bradley Brennard, Bronze award”

2019 had been a good year for me, some would see it as a natural progression which I had shown year upon year since I started racing. For me it was a massive leap, I was a lot more consistent and I finally was beginning to understand what I wanted out of the sport andContinue reading “2020, Road Cycling, Kieran Savage, Calpe Training Camp”

With the support of the Jack Bloor fund myself (Sophie Thackray), Ben Houlihan, and Dexter Leeming Sykes were able to make the trip over to Belgium to race at both DVV Trophy Kortrijk, and Zilvermeer Cross in Mol, Belgium. After making the trip to Belgium on Friday, Saturday’s race was a new course for theContinue reading “2019, Cyclocross, Sophie Thackray, Ben Houlihan and Dexter Leeming-Sykes, Belgium National Races”

It was a goal that had been 2 years in the making. We had decided that we wanted to do our gold Duke of Edinburgh’s expedition in Iceland and had spent the previous 2 years fundraising to achieve this.  At last we were underway, unfortunately Iceland air had cancelled our flights and the only wayContinue reading “2019 Explorer Scouts, Lewis Hodgson, Iceland Expedition”

Llanberis, North Wales, late September 2019: Junior Home International, incorporating the British Mountain Running Championships and World Trials.  With the un-characteristically warm weather attracting flocks of tourists and road-works putting a spanner in our timing schedule, we arrived at the course on Saturday morning without having seen the route. Nevertheless, the course was well markedContinue reading “2019 Fell Running, Lauren Dickson, World Mountain Running trials”

Gothenburg 2019 Gothenburg is a self-help training camp for 18s and 20s based in the South West of Sweden. After late selection, I was all packed and ready to go, looking forward to the week of training ahead.  I travelled down south to meet up with my friend Chloe, who was also on the tourContinue reading “2019 Orienteering, Laura Harrison, Gothenburg Training Camp”

Grace Black has Olympic ambitions, she races Canoe Slalom. At aged 15 she has been promoted to the Premier division following a weekend of racing at Holme Pierrepont in Nottingham. This means she now competes in the same division as Olympic and World Cup athletes. The Jack Bloor Fund helped her to compete in twoContinue reading “2019, Canoeing, Grace Black, Junior European Cup”

2019 European Mountain Running Championships Held in Zermatt, Switzerland, the 2019 European Mountain Running Championships excelled in all aspects. After nine months of injury and rehab, including a broken foot only two months before the race, I was extremely grateful to have been selected by British Athletics after proving my fitness. The course was a Continue reading “2019 Mountain Running, Lauren Dickson and Euan Brennan, European Championships”

At the end of April, 12 Juniors from SYO jetted off to Estonia to compete as part of the 40-strong England Team at the World Schools Orienteering Championships 2019. The week-long event was based at the Tehvandi Sports Centre close to Otepää in the South-East of the country, with the arena for all days atContinue reading “2019 Orienteering, SYO Juniors, World Schools Orienteering Championships”