A Pudsey pupil is ready to make a splash at a major overseas sports tournament.
Fulneck School lower sixth form student Sophie Hobbah has been selected to represent the English Schools‘ Swimming Association (ESSA) team at the forthcoming International School Sports Federation (ISF) World Schools Games in Morocco.
43 countries will be taking part in the event and Sophie will compete in both the 100m and 200m backstroke. She said:.
“It is a huge honour to have made the England team and I can’t wait for the Games to start. The competition will be extremely tough but I will be trying as hard as I can to make it onto the medal podium.”
Sophie’s success in the pool has taken years of dedication. Having started swimming agerd just three, she currently trains nine times a week, including four morning sessions starting at 4am and five evening sessions – and all this while studying Btech Sport, English Literature, History and Biology at Fulneck.…
“It is a rigorous schedule and it is all about working to a strict timetable and managing my time efficiently,” explained Sophie. “The school has always encouraged me and helped me to balance both my studies and my sport for which I am extremely grateful.”
Fulneck School Principal Deborah Newman added:
“We are extremely proud of Sophie and want to wish her all the very best. She is an exceptional role model for all our pupils by showing what can be achieved when you work hard.”
When she was 13, Sophie also competed in the European Youth Olympics in Tbilisi where she won two bronze medals making her the third ranked swimmer in Europe for her age at that time.
