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12 June 2019
Putney High School High Jumper becomes UK No. 1 ranking best of all time for Under 13
A keen athlete, with ambitions to compete in the Olympic games, Mabel-Rose is the daughter of ex-Wimbledon and Liverpool footballer, John Scales and combines her Year 7 studies at Putney High School GDST with competing in athletics competitions across the country in a distinctive pair of odd socks.
With her latest jump of 1.60 metres at the Lily B League meeting at Walton-on-Thames, Mabel-Rose strengthened her position at the top of the UK rankings. She is currently undefeated in the Under 13 High Jump in the London Indoor Games, The South of England Championships, the Surrey Championships (where she also won silver in the Long Jump with a personal best of 4.43m) and even achieved the joint fourth highest jump in the Under 15 England Athletics National Championships.
Sporting prowess certainly runs in the family, her father, John Scales enjoyed a long playing career with Wimbledon and Liverpool FC. Very proud of his daughter’s achievements, he told us, “She obviously has good genes but thankfully she knows talent will only take her so far and so I’m confident she really has a strong understanding that only the hardest of work will get her to achieve her ultimate sporting dreams. It’s also why we’re so happy she’s at Putney. It’s such a positive, encouraging, balanced & ‘can do’ environment.”
Mabel-Rose’s undefeated jump of 1.60 metres not only gives her a UK No 1 ranking but also puts her on “the best of all time” list for Under 13 and qualifies her for The England National Championships (Under 15) at the end of August.
Mabel-Rose has ambitious plans for the future, “I really want to go to the Olympics – that’s been my goal since day one – when people asked me what was my dream job, I’d always say ‘athlete in the Olympics’,” she told us.
Her next goal to beat is 1.65 but according to her mother, her coach, Trevor Whittle of the Hercules Wimbledon Athletics Club has to keep changing her targets as she keeps beating them.
The “Lucky Socks”
Mabel-Rose is distinctive for her lucky pink and yellow socks which she always wears in competition and first started wearing two years ago when she was only in Year 5.
“I had a competition and found two pairs of socks to use as compression socks, so I wore one of each colour. I wanted to have something unique when I was jumping or doing my running and I started wearing them because it was fun and it would help my parents be able to see me. I always wear the yellow on the left and the pink one on the right and I’ve always done well in competition when I’m wearing them. Now my sister is doing something similar and is doing really well too.”
Meanwhile, the lucky socks are washed and ready for round two of the English Schools Track & Field Cup. Her mother told us, “We are so proud of her, it’s hard to think she’s only 12! Those lucky socks are definitely working well for her, let’s hope I don’t lose them in the wash!”
