Beyond Berkhamsted: our remarkable GB athletes competing in external sports

Our pupils’ achievements in key Berkhamsted sports, such as netball, lacrosse, rugby, cricket and football, are well documented and proudly celebrated across our community. But what about those individuals who excel in sports beyond the School’s teams?

To explore what it takes to balance Berko life with high-level external sporting responsibilities, we spoke to four pupils across Berkhamsted Boys, Girls and Sixth. Isla, Ellie, Will and Lauren all compete at national levels or higher, and we think it’s about time we discuss their success.

Meet the pupils

Isla G- Gymnastics

Pupil Isla G is an elite gymnast who was selected for the GB and Scotland Squad in 2024. She loves the ‘adrenaline rush of trying new skills and completing my routines, and the satisfaction of doing a skill the best I have ever done it.’ Her proudest achievement is ‘coming 2nd overall in the Scottish Championships,’ and competing in the British Championships, where she placed 18th in the country. She is one of the two elite athletes that we speak to from Berkhamsted Girls.

Ellie U- Alpine Ski

The second is Ellie U, an Alpine Ski Racer competing for Great Britain. Ellie loves the ‘opportunities and travel’ that come from her competitions, and has achieved top 10 international finishes, also coming 3rd overall at the English Championships in Italy.

Will B- Equestrian

Will B proudly represents Berkhamsted Boys on the Equestrian team, competing in a variety of events including Dressage, Showjumping, Jumping with Style and the Eventer’s Challenge. Will has ‘competed at prestigious venues, winning prizes at a national level for several years,’ including winning ‘National Championships’ alongside other Berkhamsted riders in all the events listed above. Individually, his 5th National Championship placing in the 1m Combined Training is a source of great pride.

Lauren A- Fencing

Lauren A is a Sixth former who balances her A Level books with a fencing Sabre, competing for Great Britain for the last 3 years in the U17, U20 and U23 squads. She is the Scottish U17 Champion and has even competed for Scotland at the 2024 Commonwealths in New Zealand. Lauren values her sport for its community: ‘we lean on each other for support and know each other very well,’ she explained. ‘I love the friendships I have built with people who are spread across the world from here to Australia!’

Balancing Berkhamsted

These four athletes not only perform nationally but also have to balance their training and competitions with full-time schooling at Berkhamsted. ‘I have found that balancing my school life and sport can be quite a challenge,’ Lauren said. ‘I aim to be as organised as possible and often ask for the work in advance from lessons I will be absent for.’

When catching up becomes necessary, Ellie finds it helps to arrange ‘extra sessions with teachers,’ and Will thanks the support of his parents to balance his schoolwork with competitions.

Lauren added: ‘I would like to thank my subject teachers for being so understanding of my repeated absences. They keep me informed so I can stay up to date, and my form tutor Mr Butcher gave me so much support when the international seasons and exams both got busy!’

At Berkhamsted, we’re keen to work around competitions to ensure that our athletes still excel academically and feel supported to manage their higher workload.

One aspect of this support is flexibility in attendance during their term time. Will shared, ‘I often train during games sessions and leave early from School when I have no lessons in the afternoon. School has also allowed me to miss a few days so that I can compete at prestigious venues at a national level.’

Sport in School

It’s also important that external sporting success doesn’t detract from a pupil’s Berkhamsted sporting experience. Most of our athletes also play School sports and benefit from its unique culture and offerings, including the community camaraderie of high-percentage participation across years, a committed Strength and Conditioning programme, and the development of character skills.

Isla commented, ‘playing sport at Berkhamsted helps me stay active and develop skills like teamwork.’ Will credited ‘playing rugby’ for how it ‘helped to build up my strength and suppleness so that I can be more effective and efficient in my aids when riding.’

‘Regular strength and conditioning sessions develop my endurance and explosivity through weight training and plyometric exercises,’ Lauren adds. With a dedicated Head of Athletic Development and a team of S&C specialists, we’re pleased to see how our in-School offering can help our athletes on their paths to success.

Excellence and Dedication

“The School is proud of the dedication and ambition shown by our students who pursue sporting pathways beyond the School environment. As well as highlighting their talent, their achievements reflect their commitment to balancing training, competition and academic responsibilities.

We are committed to supporting these pupils in their pursuit of excellence and recognise the vital role our community plays in developing confident, motivated and well- rounded young people.” – Katy Costin, Director of Sport

We’re excited to see how Isla, Ellie, Will, Lauren- and others like them- will continue to pursue outstanding levels of sporting excellence.

Looking forward, Isla is preparing to compete in an international gymnastics competition, representing Scotland, while Lauren looks forward to the two remaining fencing events of the year at Tbilisi and Sofia.

We are so proud to see our athletes succeed, embodying our School values to Be Adventurous and Aim High with Integrity. Thank you to Isla, Ellie, Will and Lauren for chatting with us about their sporting success, and we wish them all the best in the future. They have certainly made their teachers, friends and everyone else in the Berkhamsted Schools community very proud.