A massive well done to our own 16 to 19 Female European Sprint Duathlon Champion Ellie!

Next stop is the World Sprint Duathlon Championships in Ibiza for the 18-year-old Bede student from Sedgefield.

“It feels really good to have won the gold medal,” she said and to now be in the running for the world championships next month.

Dad Rob, a chemistry teacher at Bede, agreed the win is certainly a reflection of all the hard work and training Ellie has put in.

A keen young athlete brought up in a sporting household, she trains between eight and ten hours a week.

And while she says cycling is her strength, her recent running times have also reached a personal best.

The 2023 Europe Duathlon Championships took place in Caorle, Italy, earlier this month. The 16-19 Female AG Sprint comprised a 5k run, 20k bike and a 2.5k run.

Admitting that she does feel the nerves before a race, Ellie, who has autism, said: “It isn’t so much the running or the cycling, it’s more about the transition aspect between, you have to do it in a certain order otherwise you can be penalised.”

At times struggling to regulate her temperature and even sensitive to the texture of her running suit, both sensory issues related to autism, she believes it can also be a positive driving force.

Dad Rob said: “Many people with autism tend to be highly drawn towards their interests and that is where a lot of the drive and motivation comes in. For Ellie there is no slacking off no matter what the weather is doing.”

Ellie added: “I am also a perfectionist so there will be days in training, if I have set a standard, I am determined to meet it.”

Now preparing for the world championships next month, her biggest competition is herself, hoping to out-perform her own personal bests, though she admits it would be nice to bring home a medal.