Well done to Year 9 student Maggie Gancheva, who recently represented Brooke Weston Academy at the Anglian Cross Country Championships in Ipswich where she came second in the Junior Girls category.  She has now been selected to represent the county at the English Schools’ Cross Country Championships; the most prestigious race of the season, on 19^th March in Kent, where she will be competing against the best students across the country to compete for the honour of being the best in the country.

Maggie, who is a member of Kettering Town Harriers; one of the leading athletics clubs in the Midlands, said, ‘ I was really happy to be selected for the English Schools’ Cross Country Championships because I have been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time. I am also pleased because I did so well in the trials I get to be first in the pen meaning I will have the best possible start on race day.’

In preparation for the race Maggie said, ‘It’s very interesting how the training plans work. My training varies with short and long sessions, which will help increase my stamina and speed, but 1-2 weeks before races as big as this, my coach puts me on a taper so I am nice and fresh for the race. My aspirational goal is to come in the top 8 because you then get selected for international competitions but I will be extremely happy if I manage to get in the top 100 out of the whole of England, that would be a very big achievement for me.’