Ellie shows her
paces in athletics
Eleanor Rowland is just 15 years old but has already achieved the distinction of gaining her Welsh vest as a promising young sprinter with Pembrokeshire Harriers, is a useful long jumper as a bonus and the holder of the county records in both for age group.
Known to all as Ellie, she hails from Milford Haven and has also played hockey and netball in the local comprehensive school but followed older sister Amy into athletics and has worked hard to develop her natural pace in the intervening time.
Family involvement
Amy is known as a good hurdler and there is very much a family involvement with Pembrokeshire Harriers since mum Liz coaches the high jump at the club and dad Nigel coaches youngsters in the hurdles so it is easy for them to all troop off together to the athletics track as STP School in Haverfordwest for the training sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, where they then go their separate ways to be involved in their own events.
Ellie first started an interest in athletics at Milford Haven Junior School, where she won races at sports day but it was at 11 that she joined the Harriers and was soon into her stride, quite literally, as a runner with pace. Her hard work has paid off since she was ranked fourth in Wales at under 15 with best times of 12.6 in the 100 metres and 26.3 for the 200 metres – and a personal best of 4.90 metres in the long jump. Her 200 metre time in the county sports when she was at under 13 level actually broke a record of some 40 years standing!
County and
national honours
Last year saw her win the school and county sports before moving on to the Welsh Schools’ Championships in Brecon, where she gained a gold medal in the 100 metres and as a result was chosen to represent Wales in the 60 metres on the indoor track at UWIC, in Cardiff, competing against the best sprinters from Ireland and Scotland in the Gaelic Games. It was a memorable day where she ran well to achieve fourth place in front of a large crowd, which naturally included the rest of the Rowland clan. She was joined in the team by Pembrokeshire Harriers colleagues Lauran Bell and Adam Davies and another enjoyable facet of the event was that all the Welsh team stayed together the night before and built up a really good team spirit.
Other sports
Outside of her running, Ellie plays hockey as a left wing for Milford Haven Comprehensive School and used to play for Milford haven Ladies but couldn’t really spare the time for training there as well as at athletics. She also played goal defence in netball but damaged ankle ligaments and so it had to go because sprinting comes first!
Working hard in training
She is now competing against girls a year older in the under 17 section of Welsh Athletics but is undismayed about that fact since it gives her chance to gain experience under the watchful eyes of sprint coaches Mark Richards and David Thomas, plus the long jump with Sue Alvey. Her sprint sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings involve all sorts of drills, including running backwards and cardio-vascular activities like running up to 300 metres, starting practice off the blocks – and three or four full-blooded 100 metre runs. It is a similar story when she trains for the 200 metres but ask Ellie if she would ever like to try longer distances and a positive ‘No thank you’ will be the answer!
Quick to praise others
Although she works hard of her own volition, Ellie is quick to praise the support she has received from her mum and dad, Liz and Nigel, sister Amy and her coaches. Ask her about ambitions and she would say she just wants to enjoy running and competition for fun, before taking a degree in Media Studies, and perhaps a few more Welsh vests - and there is no doubt that Ellie Rowland has bags of potential yet and we wish this modest and likeable young lady well in her future athletics’ career!
