In Issue 192, Scott Reed described how élite sponsorship from the Bank of Scotland would help daughter Kimberley's progress next season as a highly promising field athlete. Below, he gives an insight into the dedication and sheer slog required to make it at the highest levels.
'Kimberley has been training hard over the winter, keeping up with her throwing practice at Meadowbank. She also does weight training and fitness classes to keep in good condition and promote strength for the coming season. This winter she has started doing some Olympic lifts (cleans and snatches) as well as some power lifting (squats and dead lifts). These weight-lifting sessions strengthen her leg muscles which are the primary driving force in throwing events. Other fitness work usually involves circuit training and core work.[img_assist|nid=1541|title=|desc=|link=node|align=right|width=376|height=640]
'The bad weather and snow has made it impossible to get out and do any throwing outside, and with the nearest indoor throwing facility an hour away at Grangemouth, we've had to improvise by making home-made indoor throwing equipment out of old rope, medicine balls and basketball nets. This means Kimberley can at least do some proper hammer throwing in the concourse at Meadowbank, even if it is just against a concrete wall.
'In November, she was named Female Under-17 Athlete of the Year by Edinburgh Athletic Club, and was presented with her trophy by Scottish Rugby and British Lions internationalist Scott Hastings. She was also named as a Bank of Scotland Countdown Camp Development Athlete by Scottish Athletics.
'Currently, Kimberley is trying to balance her commitments to school work and training which isn't easy. Her Higher exams start in the middle of May and go on till 3 June. With the athletics season opening in April and qualification for the World Youth Championships closing on 20 June, this doesn't leave much time to get the qualification standard of 53 metres, but she'll definitely be doing her best.[img_assist|nid=1542|title=|desc=|link=node|align=right|width=640|height=519]
'The first competition of the year will be the Lothian Trials on Sunday 3 April at Meadowbank. This is a local event to allow athletes to get a score up in the new rankings, and it is ineligible for qualification purposes.
'Her first main competition will be Hammerama the following Saturday, on 9 April, at Grangemouth Stadium.'
You can continue to follow Kimberley's astonishing progress in the Spurtle.