Young athletes from Upton Juniors in Broadstairs are among the best in the country.
Their recent performances against elite competitors in the national biathlon championships in Bath demonstrated grit and determination and have been inspirational for fellow pupils at the school.
Nine Upton children made it through the qualifiers at the start of the year, with five opting to take on the best in running and swimming at the long-awaited finals that featured the top 100 competitors in each age group.
Upton’s Sports Coach and PE lead Callum Noble said: “They applied themselves fantastically well after a long trip right across the country where they were up against the best of the best.
“It is to their credit that they turned in excellent performances. Two of our team finished in the top ten at seventh and eighth respectively. Our other runners were placed 32nd, 57th and 81st. This is admirable.”
Upton held the national qualifier for the south east in January attracting more than 50 competitors from around London and the South East.
Mr Noble added: “Our reasoning to host the qualifier originally was that we firmly believe that all children should have the opportunity to take part in a national event such as this if they wish. Our aim was to make attendance at qualifying heats easy accessible for young people in our region and to give this opportunity to as many of them as possible.
Head of School Darci Arthur said that the whole school community is proud of their biathletes. She said: “This is a sparkling achievement to compete well against the brightest young runners and swimmers in the country. To qualify for the finals was so impressive – to have five pupils perform with such dedication, enthusiasm and heart in such a tough competition is outstanding.
“Performances by our children in all manner of sports competitions are inspirational for their peer groups – and they were perfect sporting ambassadors for Upton and our whole area.”
