Talented young athletes at Burnley College are celebrating after storming to victory at the Association of Colleges (AoC) North West Regional Tournament.
Tilly Duffy, 17, from Bacup and a former student at Rossendale All Saints RC High School (pictured centre), Rosie Dowson, 17, from Hebden Bridge and a former student at Todmorden High School (left), and Isabelle Perry, 16, from Trawden, and former student at Ss John Fisher and Thomas More RC High School (right), secured incredible 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishes respectively in the Women’s 5km Endurance Run, hosted at the University of Lancashire’s Sports Arena in Preston.
Their regional success now sees them qualify for the AoC Sport National Championships, the largest annual Further Education student sporting event in the country, which attracts over 1,700 student athletes to compete in their chosen discipline.
Tilly shared:
“My result at the competition came as a huge surprise, as my previous time in this event was around two minutes slower!”
Fraser Massey and Noah Marshall also achieved amazing 2nd and 3rd place finishes at the regional heat in the Men’s Singles Table Tennis event, while Ethan Cutler and Max Belshaw put in commendable performances and placed in the top fifteen in a very competitive Men’s 5km Endurance race.
The students are all part of Burnley College’s Elite Athlete Programme – a specially designed pathway that sits alongside students’ academic studies and gives them access to nutrition advice, performance testing & analysis and personalised support from professional athletes with an international reputation for success.
As Elite Athletes, our tournament winners are able to further their sporting ambitions while still gaining valuable qualifications – with Tilly currently completing a Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Sport & Exercise Science and Rosie and Isabelle studying A Levels.
Tilly added:
“Joining the Elite Athlete Programme has made a massive difference to my confidence and has really allowed me to flourish as a runner.”
Morgan Ogle, Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach, reflected:
“We’re incredibly proud of our Elite Athletes’ accomplishments this year. Their talent and dedication has been inspiring to watch, and we can’t wait to cheer them on as they take the next step up to compete at the national level.”
Follow in the footsteps of our high-flying team and see if you’re eligible to become an Elite Athlete today: https://www.burnley.ac.uk/about/sports-enrichment/
