SPENBOROUGH athlete Jen Walsh has been selected for the Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Hungary on December 9.
Walsh, a member of the Aviva ‘On Camp with Kelly’ mentoring programme created by Dame Kelly Holmes before the 2004 Olympic Games, will travel to Budapest for the event.
For Walsh, it is third time lucky after missing out on qualifying for the European Cross Country over the past two years.
The 19-year-old has taken a confidence boost from her performance at the European Cross Country trials in Liverpool, where she finished runner-up to defending European Junior cross country champion Emelia Gorecka.
“My main aim for the winter was just making the team for the European Cross Country really, but following the trials I know I am in great shape to get so close to Emelia, maybe I can challenge for top five at the Europeans,” said Walsh.
“Training has been going really well and I have enjoyed a great year. It is a year now since I joined Aviva ‘On Camp with Kelly’ and I have come on so much I have to give credit to the support I have received on the programme.
“I had a great start to my track season, running in the 1500m at the BUCS Championships with the support of Kelly trackside, in the Olympic stadium. I will take forwards the experience of the World Junior Championships this summer, which was definitely the highlight of my career so far, with a personal best in the final.”
The Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland Under 23 women are targeting the defence of an impressive team title in Slovenia 2011.
