County champ Pip breaks record

A YOUNG RGS boarding student who first took up athletics when she joined the school has broken a county record.

Pip Robinson was crowned Cumbria Athletics Association U15 county high jump champion and county pole jump champion with a new record – despite being only 13 years old.

Also a rising Taekwondo star, Pip explained: “When we had our first athletics session in games at RGS, we did high jump and I loved it.

The teenager, from from Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria, added: “I went to a Birchfield Harriers taster session in Birmingham to try different events, including pole vault, and was asked back for a specialist training session which was amazing.”

She trains with Border Harriers in Carlisle on Saturdays: “I do high jump and hammer. It can be difficult to train in pole vault because of all the equipment involved. I'm really grateful that the Cumbria Athletics Association allowed me to compete at their championships.

While she is now spending four hours a week training in athletics, with the aim of doing more pole vaulting, she has paused her Taekwondo, in which she has achieved her black belt.

She also enjoys playing football for her local team in addition to ballet and playing drums.