The Mark Ellis Blog

Whilst Philippa and Dominic are seasoned competitors on the athletics scene, Lil Lexie is still a relative newcomer and she's making her U13 debut this coming season. She has had her hand in over the Winter with another season of 60m & 600m at the Monkton Indoor Series, plus she's also been competing in the Gateshead College Open Meetings.  At Gateshead, she's been doing shot putt and her pb has improved with every competition, thanks to some coaching from Alex Giles and team at Gateshead. Now Lexie has had a few issues with hoying.  She's fairly recently swapped hands and now does shot with her left hand.  So why the change is the question that I've been asked by a few people.  Well, in true Lexie tradition, she was getting pain in her right hand when she was throwing and that was due to the metalwork in her right wrist that she broke when she was a bit younger.  It wasn't just an ordinary break, but falling from the top of the climbing frame whilst doi...

Back in December last year, we decided that Philippa and I would have a trip up to Glasgow and she would compete in her first athletics event in Scotland.  We'd heard some really good things about competing in Scotland and about the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, so, the arrangements were made for a trip to the Scottish National Open on the 14th January. We booked to go up on the train and stay at a Travelodge in Glasgow City Centre, making it a bit exciting for your U15G athlete. The journey up was great and so was the Travelodge, apart from my prison bed as we we're meant to be in a room on the 12th floor & I don't do lifts ! As a result we ended up on the 5th floor in a room they probably hadn't intended to use. Competition day got off to a good start with a good breakfast and we headed off to the Emirates looking forward to a good day of competition with Philippa taking part in the 60m hurdles & shot putt. The reports we'd heard about the Emirates Are...