Leeds Youth Open

I am feeling happy again after winning the BMC Youth Lead Open at Leads this weekend. Although on both qualifiers I managed the comedy move of missing the final hold! I really enjoyed the final route, making sure when I got to the top I got hold of that jug!

I would just like to say thank you to everyone who has supported me.

It was great to be winning again after I had a disappointing result at the European Youth Championship in Imst, the week before.  

European Youth Championship; Imst, Austria

What a fantastic venue the Imst wall is, perhaps a bit daunting the first time you see it.

What can I say about my performance at the European Youth Championship….I just messed up on the two qualifiers. I do not know if competing with 28 other countries, and 65 competitors, or the fantastic venue in got to me. I just made some silly mistakes, and climbing at that level if you make a mistake you fall.  On the second route I had more or less made it through the slab section, so I must be improving; slabs are not my favourite.  As well as feeling annoyed with myself I feel really bad about letting all those lovely people down who have just invested in me.  Sorry guys.

Before the comp in Imst time was spent sightseeing and keeping cool in the pool. After the qualifiers some of the GB and Irish team played ‘beach volleyball’, where I joined the Irish team to balance numbers – my Irish granddad would have been proud of me. Obviously being a competitive bunch the result was important. I am pleased to say the Anglo-Irish team were the victors. 

Funding!

Money has been pretty tight in our household the last year or so, and I have been applying for funding from various sources, quite often with no success. A couple of weeks ago I was delighted to find out I had been successful with a SportsAid nomination made about 6 months ago, it is truly wonderful to be part of the SportsAid team.

In the same week I find I had been selected for the Lancashire Rising Star Fund! What a great week.

I am hugely grateful to both of these groups not just for the money but also for the interest that is being shown in climbing and I look forward to working with them over the next year.  It is the most enormous relief to be able to help contribute towards the costs of trips abroad, fuel for training and some coaching.