A school in Macclesfield have bagged some medals at a national orienteering contest.

King's School orienteers are headed in the right direction with two superb podium finishes in the British Schools' Championships. 

In a meeting at Graves Park in Sheffield that had some 500 competitors from all four home nations, Jake O'Donnell picked up a superb Bronze Medal in the Year 11 race. Jake, 16, who races for Derwent Valley, is aiming to wear a senior British national vest and absolutely loves the sport.

He said: "It's a sport that never gets boring because you're not only running at high speed but navigating as well, making instant decisions on which the race could turn." 

The King's Alderley Road campus in Macclesfield.

In the Year 13 event, the cohesive, three-man team of Ben O'Donnell, Nick Reynolds and Will Timms took the Silver Medals, with the winners featuring the current World Champion in his age group, and therefore pretty much unassailable.

Always on each other's shoulder, the team traversed a tricky mixed woodland and hillside course with consummate skill and power. Jakes' elder brother Ben, who finished ninth, said: "I might not be the quickest runner, but I can beat competitors who may be better athletes by out-thinking them with skilled navigation. "

Nick Reynolds, 18, one of King's School Captains, who came 12th, added: "It a great sport. You run through woodland, across rivers, up and down hills and across open terrain. It's exhilarating and much better than track running."

Fellow team member Will Timms, 18, who finished 18th, stated: "It's very competitive and just great fun. You can see hundreds of runners across the course but you never know who is where and at what stage of the event. "

Orienteering has been a sport since the late 19th century. (Image by dima_goroziya from Pixabay)

Coached for 30 years by King's Assistant Director of Studies Chris O'Donnell, King's has always had a strong pedigree in national orienteering events, but is now at its very best with his two sons in the group.

A smiling Jake paid tribute to his dad: "You might even say I simply would not be here without him. But seriously, from a young age he has been teaching Ben and I the art of navigation and it gives us a real advantage."

Next on the list is the Mountain Orienteering Marathon, a 10-hour endurance event in Snowdonia next Autumn. Coach Chris said: "They are a highly motivated squad who spur each other on and the fact that they want to enter the internationally renowned 10-hour endurance challenge over the Snowdon ranges shows just how much they must love the sport." 

The good sporting news follows King's netballers being selected to represent England last month.

See Also: Macclesfield: Watch a 16 minute documentary on The Queen's King's School visit

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