Alice Taylor | Sport

One final chance and this could be it. Bounding forwards, gathering speed and intensity, I plant my foot and launch myself through the air. My body arches over the bar as I land and watch the bar wobble. My stomach tightens, will it fall? The bar stops vibrating, and I leap up in excitement. I had just won the 2020 New Zealand Secondary School Championships high jump competition and I was ecstatic. I am passionate about high jump, long jump and heptathlons. I have learnt many things about myself from my time in athletics and I believe it has shaped who I am today.

The statement; ‘reach for the stars’, although cliché, I feel I relate to. I set goals, and I try as hard as I can to achieve them. I have grown up with an identical twin which has contributed to my competitive nature. I always strive to do the best I can and push myself to the limits. These goals sometimes appear unrealistic, but when they come to fruition, the feeling of pride is immense. My journey has come with many ups and downs, but it has instilled a great sense of perseverance to keep on going.

Training for heptathlons is a challenge and requires many hours of focus. Being able to multitask, to balance school work and training, has been a valuable skill to learn and is required in order to achieve both in sport and academics.

2021 holds lots of unknowns but what I do know is that I will make the most of whatever comes my way. I intend to study Veterinary Science at Massey University whilst continuing with my track and field training. I will continue to strive for a high level of achievement in sport whilst maintaining my high academic standards.