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7
ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE
Our rugby and girls’ hockey players
enjoyed a spectacular tour to
Australia last summer.Why is
touring important?
We set a schedule designed to ensure
that all pupils who are fully engaged
in sport have the opportunity to tour.
It’s very important to play sport in a
different environment and in different
conditions. Touring offers the opportunity
to spend a focused period of time not
only on sporting development, but with
team mates. We know from our own
experiences that these friendships will
stand the test of time.
What happens afterTeddies?
We encourage our sporting alumni to stay
involved and many young OSE make the
transition from blue and gold to rhubarb
soon after leaving School. With biannual
sports days, OSE return to Teddies for
Martyrs v School fixtures in sports ranging
from hockey to rifle shooting. It doesn’t
The swimming squad at the Abingdon Relays in October
Tilly Catlin
One of the aspects of rowing I most enjoy
is the team spirit. We spend a lot of time
training together and have developed a
strong bond. We are training not just for
ourselves but for each other, requiring
each of us to challenge ourselves mentally
and physically in order to perform to the
best of our ability. As we work hard and
push ourselves towards our goal, the
National Schools Regatta, we motivate
each other and are able to support one
another when things get tough. The
rowing training schedule is heavy, with
nine sessions a week, but I find them
fun and enjoyable. You spend time with
your friends while trying to improve
your performance as an individual and
as part of a crew. The intensity of the
schedule alongside the demanding IB
syllabus means that I have to be extra
organised to fit everything in. Rowing
has helped me prioritise better and focus
on what I need to achieve. The athlete
who most inspires me is Helen Glover.
She is currently rowing for the GB team
in a coxless pair and has been unbeaten
since the 2012 Olympics where she won
gold. In 2008 she applied to the Sporting
Giants scheme and was placed on GB
Rowing Team’s ‘Start’ programme. Over
four years, Helen devoted herself to the
sport and went from not knowing how
to row to being the first woman to hold
the coxless pair Olympic, World and
European titles at the same time. Teddies
training has opened up opportunities
for me such as trialling for GB. Last year,
I was selected to represent GB at the
European Championships in Hungary
in the coxless pair and came home with
three silver medals. It simply would not
have happened without the support
of the coaches and my crew. I am now
hoping that my rowing will help me with
my applications to American universities.
Tilly was previously at Esher CofE High
School and is pictured on page 30.
Bea Mountain (
Highfield
) in action v Bloxham in November