PENTATHLETE Freya Dencher is being helped towards her goal of representing her country with a grant from Dorset Community Foundation’s Lord-Lieutenant’s Fund for Young and Talented.
The fund is supported by Dorset Lord-Lieutenant Michael Dooley and Wimborne engineering company Superior Seals, and awards grants of up to £1,000 towards costs that might prevent gifted youngsters from making the most of their natural ability.
The 14-year-old, who lives near Dorchester, wants to compete in the event, which involves obstacle course racing, fencing, swimming and laser run (shooting and running) at the U17 Olympic Hopes competition in Poland.
She said her £300 grant will help pay for a GB jacket for fencing or entry fees for more competitions. “I’m really grateful for the grant, it will be really useful because my parents have to pay so much for travel and all the other expenses,” she said.
I’m really grateful for the grant, it will be really useful because my parents have to pay so much for travel and all the other expenses
She is a member of the GB Development Pathway and is currently ranked eighth in the country at Under 17, but is aiming to break into the GB Performance Pathway. “Development is for athletes who have the been recognised with potential but performance is for those who are selected for the higher level competitions and training,” she said. “They are the ones they take to the main selective championships and so I’d really like to be on it because that would mean I’d get to those competitions, which would be amazing.”
Freya, who has been competing at the sport since she was 12, is already showing she has the skill and determination to succeed after becoming individual European U17 Champion in Triathle, which involved running, shooting and swimming, at an event in Madeira.
“I was really pleased to have won and also received gold in the team event,” she said. “I also got silver in the individual laser run. I was very close and would have won gold if I hadn’t had a bad shoot that put me well behind. On the final run I was so close to overtaking the leader but she finished a second in front of me.”
Freya, who also represents Dorset at cross country and West Dorset at swimming, says she constantly puts pressure on herself to improve. “I always write down my goals before a competition, and I always just want to improve because I feel that if I’m making all this effort and I’m not improving, there’s not really a point,” she said.
“With running and swimming there are always times that I’m striving for to get. I was pleased this season to have achieved my goal time for 1,500 meters, I always find satisfaction in getting stronger and faster.”
