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AYCLIFFETODAY
SPORT
RUNNER KATE FLIES
AYCLIFFE FLAG IN GLASGOW
By Zoe Skerrett
Newton Aycliffe distance
runner Kate Avery recorded
a personal best time to
finish fourth in the women’s
10,000-metre finals at the
Commonwealth Games in
Glasgow.
Now
the
22-year-old
former
Woodham Academy student –
pictured (above, centre) and in action
(right) – has her eyes on the 2016
Olympic Games in Rio.
Kate discovered her love and
passion for running after winning
cross-country competitions for the
districts and counties during her time
at Woodham.
She took up running outside of
school at Shildon Running and
Athletics Club and it quickly became
a serious part of her life – her first
competition was in 2004 at the age
of 12.
As she progressed and grew more
confident she began to compete in
bigger, more challenging races and
advanced her way through both
national and international races.
Kate got the Team England call-up
for the Commonwealth Games this
summer, her first senior appearance
at a major championship event, just
a week before she was due to race
after Jo Pavey opted to only run in the
5,000m distance race.
She describes the Commonwealth
Games as the best experience she’s
ever had and is ecstatic that she
managed to beat her personal best
with a time of 32:33:35 which shaved
nine seconds off her previous record.
“It was unbelievable!” Kate told
Aycliffe Today.
“I’ve watched the race back and the
television just doesn’t do it justice. The
atmosphere is so different when you’re
actually there – it’s just unbelievable.
“There was just a huge wave of
noise following us as we were going
around which spurred us on.”
The final few metres of the race
were tense as she overtook Scottish
runner, Beth Potter with a sudden
burst of energy and aspiration to beat
her. Fellow England runner, Sonia
Samuels, finished 24 seconds behind
Kate in seventh place.
Three Kenyan runners, Chepkirui,
Kiplagat and Chebet who had less
than a second between them, took the
medals.
Currently, Kate is studying at Iona
College in New York, United States
for a track-and-field scholarship but
her main goal is to compete in the Rio
Olympics 2016.
Last year she claimed the silver
medal at the European Under 23
Championships and also beat
her outdoor personal best in the
3,000m race at the European Team
Championships in Germany.
Kate describes her coach, Tony
Simmons, as a massive inspiration
to her. He represented Wales and
England in many races, competed
in the 1976 Montreal Olympics
for the finals of 10,000m and won
silver medal at European Athletics
Championships in 1974 after finishing
four hundredths of a second behind
the gold medallist.
Kate is currently looking for any
kind of sponsorship. Email martin@
aycliffetoday.co.uk and we’ll pass on
your details.