British silver medal for Charlie

CHARLIE Follett (14), from Backwell School won a silver medal at the 2011 Modern Pentathlon British Youth Championships recently.

Charlie pulled off a personal best swim time of one minute seven seconds for the 100m swim time trial and ran a personal best 5.24 for the 1500m on the second day of the competition to finish second overall, beating several British international competitors in the process.

Having knocked two poles down in the show jumping section the previous day, she was unable to take first spot, but was overjoyed at the end result.

She said: “I did not fence or shoot at my best and the horse I picked to ride was not the most careful jumper, but I was delighted with my swim and run performances and with the end result.”

Charlie and her younger sister Maddie, who also competed and won the prize for best shot, train with the Backwell Swimming Club, Clevedon Athletic Club, Wellington Swords Fencing Club, Banwell Pony Club and practice their shooting at a range specially built at home.

She has a national triathlon qualifier coming up at Millfield School, which is just the swim, run and shoot phases and is hoping to do well in the nationals for that sport later in the year.