Bolsover teen Izzie takes strides toward Olympic dream

Bolsover teen Izzie Coakley is aiming for Olympic heights.

She rides a horse, she swims, she shoots, and now a young Olympic hopeful is progressing by leaps and bounds as she earns her place to compete in the regional tetrathlon championships.

Izzie Coakley, 14, from Bolsover, is on course to stardom as she works towards competing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and has just been selected to compete in the junior British championships this June where she will represent the East of England against six teams from the rest of the UK.

She has just completed her first full modern pentathlon competition, and the training never stops as she goes running, swimming and riding four times a week, shoots twice a week and fences every Wednesday.

She is also off to compete at the Queen’s birthday celebrations at the Royal Windsor Show.

Tetrathlons involve four disciplines, horseriding, running, swimming and shooting.

Mum Sarah Coakley, 47, said: “I’m incredibly proud, she’s so dedicated and I don’t even have to get out of bed for training every morning, she’s really into it as well as doing amazingly at school.”

Izzie said: “I’m excited. I stick to the training by not over doing it – keeping a balance is really important. The Olympics is my ultimate goal and that’s why I’m doing this.”

“I’ve been competing in the tetrathlon since she was six, but when I was that age they didn’t let me shoot and I had to throw a bean bag at a target.”

“I’m aiming to get into the Team GB’s English talent programme and I’ve got to get certain times for my swim and my run.”