On a winning run

A School of Education teaching student produced her personal best to help Great Britain to success in an international meet.

Elise Lovell, a Hastings Athletic Club heptathlete, recorded PBs in four events to help GB’s senior women finish runners-up in the Combined Events International Indoor Match against the Czech Republic, France, Poland and Spain in Prague.

Elise, studying for our Physical Education PGCE, started in athletics at the age of six and later, while at Helenswood School in Hastings, she cleared the long jump pit. Her PE teacher Jane Dallaway spotted Elise’s talent and guided her to Hastings Athletics Club.

Progressing into higher education, Elise was awarded a first class sport and exercise science degree at Sheffield Hallam University, a city where she trained with “a true inspiration” Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, before she returned to Hastings to teach PE in local schools.

She said: “It was then that I realised that teaching came naturally to me, whether this was due to my parents both being teachers, and/or participating in leadership activities from the age of fifteen I will never be sure.

“This made me pursue a PGCE in Physical Education at the University of Brighton. None of my success academically, professionally and in the world of sport would have been possible without the inspiration, support and dedication of my parents, and I will never be able to thank them enough for this.

“My course leader, Dr Gary Stidder, has been extremely supportive during my time on the PGCE course, and I am honoured to be a part of a group of students who really bring out the best in each other.

“I achieved a Grade 1 in all teaching standards during my first placement at Robertsbridge School and hope to continue this through to my second placement at St Leonards Academy to achieve the best success at the end of my PGCE Physical Education course.

“After becoming qualified I hope to continue inspiring and educating pupils in the subject of Physical Education.”

Elise is a passionate believer in sport: she frequently represented Sussex at National competitions between the years 2006-2010, and won the English Schools Senior Long Jump title in 2010. She made her international heptathlon debut for England in 2011.

In 2015, she was selected to represent Great Britain at the European Cup Combined Events Super League, and in the same year she achieved two national titles in both the Heptathlon and Long Jump, and a national silver in the 100m Hurdles.

Elise made her international debut last year, representing England in the Long Jump at the Manchester International where she won her first international medal. In the same year she broke the long-standing Sussex County Long Jump Record, increasing it to 6.02m.

“My coach Steve King has worked with me since the beginning of my athletics career and I would not have achieved any of this success without him. I am honoured to be part of a very successful training group which includes Sebastian Rodger (Olympic 400m Hurdler) and Leanne Buxton (Master European Combined Events Champion).

“Every athlete’s dream is to compete in the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. My current goals for this outdoor season are to increase my heptathlon score to 5500 and consistently long jump over 6m. Hopefully this will allow me to once again be selected to represent Great Britain in the European Cup Combined Events and continue to succeed in national championships.”

Elise, currently is currently unfunded and receiving no sponsorship, hopes this will change this year. Contact Elise on Twitter @eliselovell28.