Rockin’ on to Rio 2016
Women’s race winner at the Ballinrobe 5k Angela O’Connor ran 19:47 – a great time for our National W45 category multi medallist. She headed a field of 114 women (of 181 finishers). In fifth place behind Angela in 20:39 was a champion modern pentathlete. Rebecca (Becky) Wain was taking part to keep up her speed as she spends ‘summer’ time in Ireland. She is from Dundee and is studying Geography-Geosciences at University of Aberdeen. She is spending seven weeks in Ireland – currently soaking up the rain in Connemara , and “walking the mountains and hammering rocks” on a geology placement. Becky has always been sporty and at school tried her hand at a range of sports – from Gymnastics, Ballet, Highland Dancing to Badminton, and Athletics. She took up the modern pentathlon in 2006 after seeing it on TV. It includes five events: pistol shooting, epee fencing, 200 m freestyle swimming, show jumping and a 3k cross country run.
Since then she has been a successful junior, won a sports scholarship and became part of a gold medal winning GB relay team at the Junior European Championship last month in Hungary She gave up the chance to run with the Olympic torch to compete.
After the race Becky enjoyed the atmosphere at Costello’s and talked about her ambition to be part of the GB team at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Becky is currently ranked 7th in the British women’s modern pentathlete list.
Maybe one of the participants in the Summer Series will be similarly inspired after their 5k achievements and go on to join Becky to compete in Rio