Kate Wins Bronze
Palmer Park Velo's Kate Metali produced a superb performance to win a bronze medal in the British Schools Cyclo Cross Championships held at Gillingham in Kent last Sunday. She was competing in her first National Championships and only her second ever cyclo-cross event.
Nine year old Metali also had to overcome appalling conditions and the disadvantage of using a mountain bike rather than the custom cyclo-cross bikes.
She finished third in the U10's behind Gretel Warner from the host club Team Darenth. Despite only being 10, Warner has competed in over 30 cyclo-cross events. She dominated from the start to claim the title, while last years under eight champion Grace Garner from Leicester was second, just ahead of the Reading youngster.
A bronze medal capped a great weekend for Metali as on Saturday she had received a special award from Palmer Park club. It was to mark her smashing a five year old course record for 1 lap at Palmer Park. She became the first under 10 girl in the clubs history to go under 50secs with her time of 48.50secs. She was awarded a gold standard in the U12 category which is the highest award that the club can offer. And she still has another 3 years in this category.
The Palmer Park club attracts 60 children aged between the ages of 4 and 18 every Saturday morning to the Wokingham Road track and welcomes all abilities. All of the children are taught by a teamof qualified coaches, led by head coach Shane Benson.
Metali's result on Sunday was a testament to the hard work put in by all of them. On Sunday however, she was competing for her new school, Woolton Hill. She moving there just before Xmas having previously attended Westwood Farm in Tilehurst.
She is more normally associated with the sport of Triathlon whaere she was runner up in the British Triathlon Association South East regional multisport championships last year, and was also the winner of the Thruxton Rowathlon in October. Her next event is a swimming event as she competes for Reading Swimming Club in Bucks County Championships on March 4. A week later she will competing in the British Schools Mountain Bike Championships in Manchester.