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Amy’s flying with the Pembrokeshire Harriers
Amy Leahy is one of the talented young athletes currently catching the eye with the Pembrokeshire Harriers as a hurdler and sprinter who has already become a Welsh champion at the tender age of 14.
She took up athletics almost by chance and has since worked really hard to develop her skills after starting out s a sprinter before being taken under the wing of Nigel Rowland and becoming a sprint hurdler of genuine potential.
Steve suggests she joins the Harriers
Her first race came when she attended the local parish sports held for children in catholic junior schools at Haverfordwest and won her race in style. She was watched by family friend Steve Stretch, who suggested that Amy should join the Harriers, a view shared by local teacher Simon Roach, and she took to the training like a duck to water. Within three months she entered the West Wales Indoor Championships in Swansea and won the girls’ under 13 60 metres sprint. That was in 2009 and it qualified Amy for the Welsh Championships in Cardiff – which she promptly won to become a Welsh champion after only two races with the Harriers!
Nigel nips in as hurdles coach
It was then that hurdles coach Nigel Rowland suggested that she ought to try hurdling and Amy was soon looking sharp as she learnt her new technique and got herself really fit under Nigel’s encouragement. She did well in her first year as she grew in experience and her efforts were rewarded at the end of last season when she represented West Wales in the finals and won it. Amy won gold this year in the Welsh Schools, Welsh Athletics and Welsh Regional Championships to make it a triple triumph - and she also won the Welsh Schools’ silver medal in the 200 metres as a real bonus for her and sprint coach Richard Thomas, who has also done so much good work with her.
Great club support
Amy hasn’t lost a race since, other than the UK Finals in August of this year, but again she showed her promise, with a year still to go in this category, as she won her heat and came fifth in a very competitive final where she was just 0.03 seconds off a bronze medal. She also gained in experience at such a big competition, which was another important phase in her development. It was a great thrill for her that although many of her team mates were unable to travel because they were representing Pembrokeshire Harriers in a competition, they were all keeping in touch on their mobile phones and texts, so that she knew she had terrific backing from all at the Harriers!
Family commitment
She is also lucky that she has wonderful support from her family, with mum Nicola and dad Anthony always there for her. Anthony used to play football for Goodwick and Letterston whilst Nicola hails from the sporting O’Connor family – and younger brother Ben (12) plays football for Goodwick and hockey for Fishguard and Goodwick. Ben also enjoys the throwing events with Pembrokeshire Harriers and doubles up by taking part in the walk so that he can gain vital points for his team – and has actually won a couple of races!
Other sports
Amy also participated in football with a Goodwick United girls under 11s team that used to be coached by rugby player Jonathan Jones, and plays netball for Ysgol Bro Gwaun, either as goal defence or wing defence. She clearly is good in that sport as well because she represents both Pembrokeshire and West Wales, using her speed and balance to good effect.
And finally . . .
But it is sprint hurdling that now occupies much of Amy’s time in between her studies and her ambition is to gain her Welsh Vest by representing her country in an international event. It means a great deal more hard work and dedication but with wonderful support at home and at the Harriers, which she says is a brilliant club, she is well on the way, especially since she is very committed to that target.
We at PembrokeshireSport.co.uk acknowledge all the hard work done by Amy Leahy in support of her natural talents and we wish this modest young lady from Goodwick continued success – and we await with interest further good news from this high-flying sprint hurdler!
PHOTOS:
Amy Leahy with coach Nigel Rowland.
Amy shows her paces at the Welsh Hurdles championships.
Amy as successful Pembrokeshire Harriers captain with Josh Davies.
Amy (far right) with fellow Harriers Rhian Homer and Lauren Bell.
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