Story By Athlete - Neva Jansen
A Strong Start in Bracknell
Every year, Bracknell hosts a young athletes' meet at the start of the season. It offers a competitive field, an enjoyable environment and medals for the top three.
SpeedPro athletes consistently show up for this event, and this year was no different. Nine athletes competed, and together they produced the most successful set of results SpeedPro has achieved at this meet.
Leading the Medal Count
The day began with Neva Jansen competing at the Bracknell Junior meet for the final time. She delivered another strong performance to secure the U18 discus title, making it back-to-back titles. Her throw finished just 8cm short of the English Schools standard.
As close as that may seem, there is no doubt she will achieve the standard in the coming weeks and represent London at English Schools 2026.
A Standout Debut
Next was a new addition to the SpeedPro group, Enzo Hogwood. Since joining, he has worked consistently, and that effort has shown in his performances.
He opened his day with an impressive 12.10 seconds in the 100m before returning later to run 25.93 seconds in the 200m. These performances secured him two gold medals.
For a U14 athlete, this level of performance stands out, and it will be exciting to see how his times develop over the season.
Building Momentum
Mélodie Humbert also competed in the 200m. After a strong indoor season, she carried that momentum outdoors, running 26.73 seconds.
The performance secured her a bronze medal and a personal best. Achieving a personal best this early in the season highlights her progression and sets a strong foundation for the months ahead.
Middle-Distance Performances
In the 1500m, both Beatrice Eminson and Thomas Whorton added to the medal tally.
Beatrice opened her outdoor season with a composed race to secure silver. It was a strong start and good preparation ahead of her upcoming 800m races.
Thomas followed to close the day. After a successful indoor season, he stepped up again to run a seven-second personal best of 4:07.44 and secure second place in the U18 1500m. His early performances have created excitement across the group for what the rest of the season could bring.
Strong Performances Across the Group
There were also several other standout performances across the team.
Holly Townsend stepped down to the 400m and ran a personal best of 62.40 seconds. Amelia Barnes delivered strong opening races in both the 300m and 200m. Freya McAndie produced a solid season opener in the 1500m, while Leo Ogungbemi ran a competitive 800m, finishing just two seconds outside his personal best.
A Positive Start to the Outdoor Season
Overall, SpeedPro athletes delivered outstanding results. Across nine athletes, the group achieved six medals and five personal bests.
As a season opener for most athletes, these performances show clear progress and set a strong direction for the months ahead. It is a positive step towards the Surrey Championships, where the group will aim to build on this momentum and continue progressing throughout the outdoor season.
