Bo’ness athlete Lauren Tenn-Mills has set new personal bests in the long jump and 60m sprint – and cites her new weight training regime at Forth Valley College as one of the main factors.
Falkirk Victoria Harriers athlete Lauren (18), a HNC Health, Fitness and Exercise student, has just reached her target of adding 5cm to her best jump distance of 5m 48cm and at the same time has notched a PB in the 60m indoor sprint, clocking 8.08 seconds, bettering her previous best by four tenths of a second.
Even more impressive was that she achieved her PBs in high standard competition - the long jump on Saturday 2 February at the Scottish Under 20s event and in her 60m sprint on Saturday 9 February at the Scottish University and Colleges Indoor Athletics Championships both held at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.
She has been following an intensive strength and conditioning programme under the watchful eye of FVC’s Leisure Facilities Coordinator Waimun Lee – since September and along with her own coach Gary Manson, has been developing into one of Scotland’s most exciting teenage athletes – hitting the under 20 number one spot in Scotland for the longjump with 5m 53cm!
Lauren, who regularly trains at Grangemouth Stadium - along with other elite athletes such as high jumper Alan Smith and Elidh Doyle (formerly Child) and who cites local Commonwealth Games athlete Jade Nimmo as her inspiration - is really seeing the benefit of the programme at the FVC Falkirk gym.
She said: “When I started the weight training I thought if I’d got one or two more centimetres on my best jump I would be ecstatic, but I am so chuffed at making the five centimetres target so quickly! It has given me great confidence in both disciplines and making these two personal bests has fuelled me to train even harder to do even better.
“I have now started the second block of winter training, in which my coach, Gary Manson has created six weeks of strength and conditioning alongside speed work. Now, after my recent performances, I now look forward to another successful outdoor season. I can’t thank Gary and Wai enough. I am now looking to see if I can jump two centimetres more for when the outdoor season begins in the summer.”
Waimun Lee FVC’s Leisure Facilities Coordinator, said: “This is an amazing achievement by Lauren considering she had doubts going into both competitions. It looks like she is maturing into a top class athlete not only in dealing with the physical aspect of her sport, but now psychologically. I am looking forward to seeing where Lauren goes from here as she is such a young talented athlete with plenty of years to develop further into her sport and instead of lifting weights, hopefully she will be lifting more medals above her head - well done Lauren.”
“She has reached this far in her sport through natural talent and hard training, but has only touched on basic lifting, ie back squat deadlifts. With the strength and conditioning resources and experience we have at our Falkirk Campus gym, Lauren can now incorporate a full strength and conditioning program within her training schedule which I have provided and am currently delivering. In just a short space of time Lauren is now already starting to lift substantial loadings, which in turn will help develop more explosive power, strength, fitness and co-ordination. I am so glad that Forth Valley College will not only provide her with an academic qualification, but also assist with her sporting goals and dreams.”
