A Colne Valley High School pupil was selected to represent Yorkshire in a gruelling nationwide cycling contest.
Fourteen-year-old, Emelia Clarke was cherry-picked for the spot at the Sainsbury’s School Games at Hadley Farm in Essex only six months after getting into the saddle.
It is the latest boon for the Golcar resident, who recently came third in the final race of the Yorkshire regional mountain bike series.
Her PE teacher, Claire Bolton, noticed her potential when she came along to one of the Pennine Sports Partnership Cycle Coaching sessions at the school.
She said: “I noticed that ‘unfortunately’ she was the only girl, in a group with about eight other lads.
“She impressed me from start to finish but definitely at the finish when in the final race she beat most of the boys.
“She is a girl who is not only talented but gutsy too.”
She was impressed when, on his suggestion, she began training with the Holmfirth Cycling Club.
Since then she has won races in the West Yorkshire School Games for her school and at the weekend competed against the top 40 riders from her age group from across the UK at the Hadley Olympic mountain bike track.
Dad Andrew said: “She was up against some strong riders from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but unfortunately suffered several punctures during her races. It was a great for building up her experience at this level.”
