Young Orienteering Star

6th February 2008

TEENAGE orienteering wonderkid Carl Edmonds is certainly heading in the right direction. The Year 9 St Bernard’s Catholic High School pupil has developed into one of the sport’s brightest young stars, turning in a string of brilliant performances.

His reward is a place in the English Schools Select team for the International School Sport Federation World Schools Championships in Orienteering (ISF WSCO), which will be held in the historic Scottish city of Edinburgh in April. Carl will become the first ever youngster from Barrow to take part in the championships as part of a select team. The 14-year-old and four other budding young orienteers from across the country will form the nation’s five-strong junior boys select team. They will do battle in three races over a six-day period against select boys teams from over 20 countries, including China, New Zealand, Israel and Ukraine.

“I’m really excited, this is the biggest event I’ll have ever taken part in,” said Carl, who is a member of the Barrow and District Orienteering Club (BarrO). “I don’t know how I’ll get on. There’s going to be really good orienteers there from all over the world, I hope I do well.” Carl, of Flass Lane, Barrow, won his place on the national team after shining at the English trials weekend – which incorporated the British Schools Championship – in Dorest in November. Competing against boys not only in Year 9 but also Year 10, Carl rose to the challenge on the Saturday, finishing in 10th place on an undulating forest-based course. Then, on the Sunday, he went even better, storming to a superb bronze medal in the Year 9 boys British Schools Championship race. He missed out on the silver by just a few seconds.

The selectors were obviously impressed and picked Carl for the ISF WSCO event in Edinburgh. The championships are held every two years. It will be the first time that an ISF World Schools Championship of any sport has been held in the UK. Carl began orienteering in his last year at Holy Family Catholic Primary School and enjoyed immediate success by winning the Barrow Schools Championships. Under the tutelage of level five coach Fran Stone – who has competed for and managed the Great Britain team at the World Orienteering Championships – Carl has improved in leaps and bounds over the last three years. And the teenager is no stranger to success either. Last year he was crowned the Lancashire League champion, while placing second in both the Cumbria and Lancashire Schools championships. “I like the running side of it, but find the map reading side of it better because it’s more challenging,” said Carl. “Anyone can run, but you can’t get good at orienteering if you can’t map read. “I do lots of races and really enjoy competing. The events are over all kinds of terrain, from forests to fells to sand dunes, everything really.” Stone believes Carl has a bright future in the sport. She said: “Carl is very focused on his orienteering and totally committed. “He trains three to four times a week and goes with the North West Junior Orienteering Squad once a month for training weekends. “Carl has a fantastic ability to gauge his running speed so he can still navigate at the same time.”

Carl, who has received generous sponsorship from Furness Building Society, would like to thank all those who have helped and supported him, including his parents and Fran.

To enter a select team for the ISF WSCO that country must first send a representative schools team. Ulverston Victoria High School have once again been selected to send representative teams for England. UVHS will have teams in the junior boys, junior girls and senior girls categories.

• BarrO meet every Wednesday evening from 6.30pm-8.30pm at Hawcoat Park Sports and Social Club. The club has members of all ages. Anyone interested in orienteering can ring BarrO club secretary Caroline Arnold for more details on 01229 823669.