A JEDBURGH athlete is gearing up to make a splash at the top end of her sport, writes Fiona Scott.
Triathlete Vanessa Hogg proudly wears her Team GB fleece
Vanessa Hogg, from Mounthooly, has qualified as a part of Team GB for the World Age Group Triathlon Championships in Hawaii next month. And the 33-year-old all-rounder has only been competing in the event for two years.
Speaking to TheSouthern this week, the local Business Development Director explained how she transformed her ambition into reality.
She told us: "This year I made a New Year's Resolution – I vowed to give a year of my life to triathlon, to see if I could fulfil a big dream – to make it to the Triathlon World Age Group Championships.
"I have spent all year preparing, training two or more hours a day, six days a week, watching my diet and pretty much totally cutting out alcohol. On top of this I have a full time job in a Marketing Communications Agency. I am thrilled my dream to represent Great Britain became a reality."
Hogg crossed the line at the recent Shropshire Triathlon after completing a 1,500m open water swim, a 40km cycle and a 10km run in a time 2hrs 19mins and took the fifth of 17 places on the Women's GB Age Group Team (30-34yrs).
At the beginning of August she was placed third girl overall at the London Triathlon, (excluding the elites, i.e. professionals) and enjoyed her moment of glory on the podium. And just twelve days ago Hogg pulled on her GB kit for the first time ever to compete in the European Championships, Lausanne, Switzerland, crossing the line in fifth place in her age group and 15th girl overall.
Hogg will travel to the World Championships in Honolulu on October 9 where she hopes to make her mark on the world amateur circuit.
"It is an arduous sport, which demands competence and speed across all three disciplines," she added. "It is an amateur event and totally self-funded. I don't even want to add up the many thousands it will have cost me but I do know that it is a dream come true and something that will stay with me for many years to come."
Not one to stand still for long once she comes home, Hogg plans to run the Simply Scottish Jedburgh Half Marathon at the end of October.
