All trails point to Portugal for EckO athlete Iris

A Tayvallich teenager has achieved her goal to compete at the Junior World Orienteering Championships.

 

Following a fantastic, consistent set of results this season, the 17-year-old has been selected as one of six young women for the Great Britain Junior Orienteering Team and will go to the 2022 European Youth Orienteering Championships in Salgótarján, Hungary, from July 1 to July 4, then the 2022 Junior World Orienteering Championships in Aguiar De Beira, Portugal, from July 9 to July 17.

 

Iris has also been selected to go on the pre- JWOC 2023 training camp in Romania from August 8 to August 14 in preparation for next year’s championships and will then be travelling to Stockholm for the junior inter-regional training camp from August 16 to August 28.

 

After completing six selection races, she will compete against much older athletes at the world championships, which is an under-21 event.

 

Iris said: 'I really enjoy the challenge of running in terrain in areas I've never visited before. I train all year round, running with a head-torch after school in winter, and travel away most weekends to train and attend orienteering camps and competitions all over the country.'

 

British Orienteering Performance Director Bernie Dietzig said of the selections: 'To get themselves in contention for selection, the athletes needed to demonstrate resilience and consistency. Congratulations to everyone selected for the championships this summer.'

 

A member of locally-based Loch Eck Orienteers (EckO) Iris has been orienteering with her family for several years and was selected for the Scottish Junior Orienteering Squad when she was 14 which has helped with her technical training. Since then, not only has Iris developed as an athlete, she has also made many new orienteering friends and has had the chance to travel and compete within Great Britain and Europe.

 

For more information about orienteering visit www.ecko.org.uk

 

Photograph: Iris Macmillan and fellow EckO club member Gill Berrow who

 

both excelled at the recent Scottish Orienteering Championships. NO_T26_LochEckOrienteers_Gill Berrow_IrisMacmillan