Running - Laura is major capture for Kendal AC (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Running - Laura is major capture for Kendal AC

10:20am Saturday 7th March 2009 in

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KENDAL AC members were thrilled with the recent news that the club has benefited from one of the best European junior athletes signing on the dotted line.

Seventeen-year-old Laura Park from Dearham in West Cumbria recently made the switch to Kendal out of a growing desire to run as part of a team which would be able to compete for top honours in future years.

The present Kendal senior team which consists of Gemma Miles, Sarah Tunstall and Rebecca Robinson has already gained a bronze medal in the National Cross Country Relays and a silver in the Northern Road Relays this season.

Laura, who is at present in the sixth form, started running at the age of seven with Ellenborough AC, but it is only in the last three years that she has concentrated on competing.

Accomplished in girls’ football and rugby, she decided to follow in hero Paula Radcliffe’s steps and in the last year has won at the English Schools Cross Country Championships, the U20 Inter-Counties Championships and the U17s race at the English National Championships The teenager,who is currently coached by Liz Yelling, is looking to start a sports course at college in September.

In the meantime, along with the other Kendal athletes, she line up at Nottingham this Saturday in the World Cross Country Trial which will be shown live on Sky Sports from 11am.

“I’ve had a nasty virus” said Laura, “and it’s knocked my training back, but I’ll be doing the trial whatever as my current ambition is to make the junior team for the World Championships in Jordan, later in March.”

As for future ambitions, the plucky Cumbrian is determined to help Kendal to future success, succeed as a senior athlete and be around for the 2012 Olympics in London.

“Beyond that I want to be running when I’m 70”, she said “and still be enjoying it as much as I am now.”