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29 April 2021
Lined-up against some of the country’s best para athletes, Kilgraston Sixth Form pupil Freya Howgate recorded a personal best performance in shot-put, finishing top of the F37 classification and adding 30cm to her previous distance.
During the British Athletics Coventry Spring Meet, Freya was representing her hugely supportive club, Perth’s Strathtay Harriers.
“Freya’s continual improvement – she is also a talented javelin thrower and runner – is just reward for all the hard work she has put in to this point,” commented, Club Head Coach, Jim Hunter, “From a club perspective, we are really chuffed for her.”
Athletes attending the event were afforded travel exemptions in order to attend April’s competition , but invitations were only issued five days beforehand, making arrangements very last minute: “I call her mum and dad Team Howgate,” continues Hunter, “they got everything organised to get down there. It’s all about teamwork and we like to think that the Harriers has a hand to play in it.”
Like athletes across the world, Freya has experienced a year like no other, making training very difficult. However, despite interruptions, the young athlete maintained a strict training schedule, keeping herself fit and joining in with the club’s online training programme: “That has all paid off,” noted Hunter.
Freya, who has cerebral palsy, attends Kilgraston having achieved he School’s first ever Disability Sports Scholarship. Proud mum, Alison Howgate, said: “She really enjoys being part of her athletics club, Strathtay Harriers, and fully intends continuing with it. She would really love to represent her country at the Olympics and will keep working hard and pushing forward.”
