Abigail Pawlett

JOHN SHEPHERD FINDS OUT MORE ABOUT THE NEXT BRITISH ATHLETE ON THE HEPTATHLON PRODUCTION LINE.

ABIGAIL PAWLETT has already broken one of Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s records and the 17-year-old is one of the UK’s talented up-and-coming combined events athletes.

Athletics Weekly: Tell us a little bit about your background?

Abigail Pawlett: I live and go to college in Tarporley, a small village around 40 minutes outside of Manchester, where I train and compete for my club, Stockport Track and Field.

AW: How did you get started in athletics?

AP: I first started athletics when I was eight years old. I always used to win the sprint race at primary school sports day, so my mum took me to West Cheshire AC. I stopped for a year after I had osteomyelitis (a bone infection in my left foot) before properly starting to train again and compete in my second year of under-11s.

AW: Did you always want to do multi-events?

AP: I never explicitly made the choice to do multi-events. When I was younger I was encouraged to try out different events at small league meets so I could see what I liked or was good at. I enjoyed everything so kept on competing over all the events. This then led me to do the Cheshire combined events champs - even as young as under-11s when you could choose the three events that you wanted to do. I went back to that comp every year until I was a first year under-15, when it was a pentathlon, and my first proper multi-events. Later that season I went to my first ever English schools combined events at Exeter Arena, which was also the first competition where I was coached by Joe (Frost of Stockport Track and Field).

AW: Do you have any role models in and outside of the sport who inspire and motivate you?