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FP News
FP makes victorious strides in middle-distance athletics Former pupil Eilish McColgan (Class of 2008) has certainly been making her mark on the middledistance athletics world over the last few years. As well as being a double Olympian, both in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, she recently sprinted to success at the 2018 European Championships in Berlin where she was awarded a silver medal for the Women’s 5000m. Prior to her latest wonderful achievement, Eilish was awarded a bronze medal for the Women’s 3000m at the European Indoor Championships in 2017. Additionally, in the same year she broke her personal bests in the Women’s 1500m, 3000m and 5000m. Speaking to Runner’s World Eilish explained that her secret to achieving a personal best is ‘being consistent… and to train smart’, focussing on the quality of her training sessions as opposed to the quantity. Eilish has clearly demonstrated the importance of resilience and a positive mental attitude to bouncing back from an injury. In 2011, she broke her foot at the London Diamond League, and, in 2015, she fractured her ankle whilst training in South Africa. Despite sustaining these injuries, she made jaw-dropping comebacks and has continued to climb the ladder of success ever since. Following on from her broken foot, she earned a place at the 2012 Olympics in London and after making the decision to switch from steeplechase to 5000m after her ankle injury, she joined Team GB in Rio at the 2016 Olympics proving that despite some set-backs it’s still possible to achieve successful results and return to what you love doing. Sporting success most definitely runs through Eilish’s veins. Her mother, sporting legend and 1991 World Champion Liz McColgan, and her father, Peter McColgan, former Northern
Irish Steeplechaser and Men’s 3000m indoor record holder, have meant Eilish has been immersed in the world of athletics from a very young age. However, Eilish recently revealed that her parents ‘always did their best to keep (me) sheltered from the sport’ and that she was very much the driving force behind pursuing a career in running. Speaking at an interview earlier this year, Eilish revealed that, looking to the future, she hopes to participate in her third Olympic games in Tokyo 2020. She is also aiming to climb to second on the all-time lists behind Paula Radcliffe and hopes to break into the top five in the world.
Wonderful wedding celebrations for FP down under! Earlier this year, we received the heart-warming news that Class of 1980 former pupil, Judy Davie had married partner Martin Joy in their Sydney based nuptials. The couple wed in their home town of Avalon in northern Sydney on Saturday 31 March 2018 surrounded by close family and friends. In attendance were eight of Judy’s former classmates, a number of whom had made the journey to Australia from the UK. Pictured in the photograph, from left to right: Jennifer Aveyard (neé Davie), Sally Bell (neé Lowden), Hazel Middleton (neé Sim), the Bride Judy Joy (neé Davie), Pam Milne (neé Hendry), Sandra Johnston (neé Taylor), Jill Livesey & Pauline Johnstone (neé Crammond). All the very best to Judy and Martin for an extremely happy future together!
