Personal best earns Miranda a Welsh athletics vest

Ivybridge Community College student and rising 400-metre star Miranda Hardacre has been chosen to compete for Wales at the Welsh Athletics Indoor International in Cardiff (formerly the Celtic Cup) this weekend.

The selection follows her bronze medal at the Welsh Indoor Championships in February, when she recorded an indoor personal best of 59.05 in the Under 20s’ 400 metre event.

It is the third time that 18-year-old Miranda, who lives in Ivybridge, has been chosen to compete for her country and this news signals another step forward in her ambition to compete in the Commonwealth Games.

“I was so excited when I found out that I had made the team,” said Miranda, who studies A Levels in French, History and Religious Studies. “I can’t wait to get out there on the track in Cardiff. I’ll be competing against the two best England Under 20 runners and Melissa Roberts who won the Welsh Indoor Championships”.

“My dream is to run for Wales in the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Australia, so the selection has given me a real boost and reinforced my belief that I really can do it.”

In her quest for the top, Miranda dedicates six days of training per week to her goal. This includes three track sessions per week at Exeter Arena under the watchful eye of coach Brian O’Hare, long runs in the mornings and evenings and weight training with former Great Britain weightlifter and Ivybridge Academy physiotherapist Helen Jewell.

“I love track training the most,” added Miranda, “but pushing myself to run outside and do intervals, even when it is pouring with rain, is a necessary part of my preparation. Weight training is extremely important too, as it helps me develop the power I need to be explosive and get out of the blocks more quickly.”

As an athlete on the College’s Talented and Gifted Programme, Miranda is given free access to specialist help from Helen Jewell and dispensation from teachers, particularly when it comes to travelling to important weekend meets.

“Miranda is proving herself to be an exceptional competitor,” said John Ryrie, Ivybridge Community College’s Talented and Gifted Coordinator, “and we’re proud to support her training. Assisting our elite athletes is an important part of the provision that we provide for students at the College, so it’s rewarding to see that Miranda is continuing to develop as an athlete and achieve her goals both in her sport and in her academic endeavours”.