Thanet Athletics Club

120 young athletes, and an equal number of parents, flocked to The Marlowe Academy on Tuesday 20th April for the launch of the new Thanet Athletics Club.

Coaches Natalie King and Stephen Denny led a mass warm-up before splitting the athletes into groups to try the range of track and field events.

Top coach Hazel Gallagher from England Athletics joined club coach Lara Jefferys to lead a high jump session; Janet Clayton was kept busy with some eager young shot putters; and European silver medalist Jack Green helped to put the hurdlers through their paces.

Kim Debling, Jane Hewitt and Sara Mehmed introduced the athletes to the long jump; Southern Counties bronze medalist Kara Gibbs supported coaches Tony Weston and Tyrone Weaving with a pole vault session; while Great Britain 100m sprinter Olufunmi Sobodu had the athletes powering down the back straight.

Thanet Athletics Club will train at The Marlowe Academy every Tuesday from 6.00 to 7.30pm and athletes of all abilities from the age of eight upwards are welcome to attend.  The club will provide coaching and competition in all events and has been supported in its early stages by Kent County Council and Thanet District Council.