Fantastic success for Ben at the SSAA Qualifying Decathlon, leaving him ranked 2nd in the UK

Fantastic success for Ben at the SSAA Qualifying Decathlon, leaving him ranked 2^nd in the UK...

Last weekend I took part in the Somerset Schools Athletic Association Qualifying Decathlon, which was a relatively new experience to me. I was able to perform well in all ten events throughout the two day competition with three new personal bests at the end of day one. By the end of day 2, I had managed to bring my position from 4^th to 2^nd through the pole vault and javelin events, also placing me first in Somerset. The end results have allowed me to qualify for the south west league and have placed me second ranked in the United Kingdom for decathlon, which is a massive success for me. I’m so thankful I did it, and thankful for the support from my Somerset coaches and the coaches at school because I couldn’t have done it without them, and I hope that with their continued training I can achieve even greater success over the next few years.

Ben - U6^th Form, Blackford House

“We are incredibly proud of Ben for this fantastic achievement. He has demonstrated fantastic commitment and hard work and it is wonderful to see it being rewarded with such a great performance at the County Championships. The decathlon is a very gruelling event and it is testament to both Ben’s physical and mental strength that he managed to compete at such a high level over both days. We look forward to seeing him compete at the South West Championships.”

Henry Eriksson - Director of Sport