ATHLETE Ella Hall has had to take a break from sports after suffering an injury, but it didn’t stop her competing in the Lancashire Schools Athletics Competition.
The heptathlete, who also plays for Rossendale United and our school’s football and cricket teams, has shin splints which is a condition affecting her muscles and causing severe pain when she runs.
The 15-year-old said: “Because I am currently injured I have not been able to do any running activities but I have been able to concentrate on the shot put and javelin. I go to Sports City in Manchester four times a week to train.”
She recently achieved a personal best, finally throwing 10.13m in the shot put; it has been her goal for the last two years to throw over 10m. All that extra practice paid off at the Lancashire final at Stanley Park in Blackpool.
She had just completed her Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition before the competition and so she didn’t throw as far as she had hoped, but it was still enough to get second place in the county.
Ella is hoping to be able to compete in the national heptathlon competition in August, but she said it will be more for experience than to be placed, and she hopes to be able to return to playing football and cricket next season.