South Shields teenager crowned Britain's best young obstacle course racer
Tommy Jarman, a 14-year-old pupil at Dame Allan's Schools in Newcastle, has been crowned Britain's best young obstacle course racer in his age category, with his sister Chloe finishing third in the 10-11 category.
A South Shields teenager has been crowned Britain’s best young obstacle course racer in his age category, with his younger sister also claiming a podium finish at the national championships.
Dame Allan’s Schools pupil Tommy Jarman took first place in the 14–17 age category at the British OCR Youth Championships on Saturday 17 October. His sister Chloe, a Year 7 pupil at the Newcastle school, finished third in the 10–11 category.
Tommy, 14, said: “All the running I’d been doing this year really paid off - I’ve been running 100km weeks going into the race and that really helped me get back in front after I came off the balance beam 3 times!”
Chloe added: “After I crossed the line and was told I was third, it felt great!”
Tommy won gold in the male U16 team relay, while their older brother James, 16, won the open event.
The siblings practise on a purpose-built obstacle rig in their back garden, honing the running, climbing, grip and technical skills needed to tackle demanding obstacle courses.
Their development is also supported by co-curricular sport at Dame Allan’s Schools in Newcastle. Tommy takes part in the school’s climbing and running clubs, while Chloe runs, climbs and attends fencing club.
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Tommy dedicates around 15 hours a week to the sport and has his sights set on further international competition next year.
The Jarman family’s involvement in OCR began with Susan, who took part in her first Total Warrior event in 2015 as a charity challenge.
“I thought it looked like the worst thing in the world – especially the mud and water,” she admitted, “But I really loved it. I kind of got hooked from the first moment I did it.”
Susan was a keen runner and reached the World Championships in 2018.
She said: “It’s been brilliant to see the children get involved and develop their own strengths. They all approach it differently, but they’ve each found something they enjoy about the sport.”
Neil Seaton, Principal at Dame Allan’s Schools, said: “To finish first and third in their age categories at a national championship is a brilliant result for Tommy and Chloe. It’s great to see their commitment to the sport rewarded in this way.”