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Athlete Jade makes the grade
Wigan Harrier Jade Bramall followed in the footsteps of Beijing Olympian Kelly Sotherton as she landed double bronze at the Aviva Sportshall UK Finals in Birmingham.
The 14-year-old – who travels to Wigan to train from her Crewe base – was third in the four-lap race and third in the standing jump, while she finished fifth overall during the flagship junior athletics development event of the year at the LG Arena.
Bramall's name will now be added to the history books alongside Commonwealth heptathlon champion Sotherton, who herself tasted Sportshall success in 1992.
And Bramall, who qualified for the UK Finals after winning the overall title at the North West Regional Finals at Wigan's Robin Park Sports Centre in February, immediately set her sights on emulating Sotherton in the years to come.
"I want to compete in the heptathlon in the next few years so to see Kelly Sotherton was just amazing," she said.
"She has won the all-rounder in the past and she has gone on to go to the Olympics – so she is a real inspiration for me.
"London 2012 will be a bit too early for me but I'll be watching on TV and I hope to be able to go to an Olympics one day."
Sotherton was in attendance to watch Bramall's heroics at the annual event in Birmingham, which aims to enable youngsters to experience competitive athletics in a fun and flexible environment.
And the 2004 Olympic bronze medallist believes the Wigan Harriers' involvement in Birmingham will be crucial in her bid to represent Team GB at London 2012 and beyond.
"It's a massive platform for athletes to go on and there are a lot of athletes who have come through this and gone on to bigger and better things," said Sotherton.
"I won it in my last year when I was 15 – and that same year I started my international career so it's a great platform for kids to participate in.
"It helped me go on to the next level and I'm sure a lot of the people here today will do the same in the next few years.
"It's a fantastic stepping stone for people to go on and get themselves England vests and Great Britain vests and these are the guys who will be doing that in the future."
Aviva Sportshall is part of Aviva's commitment to giving every child in the UK the opportunity to participate in athletics, creating a long-term legacy for the sport and unearthing future champions.
To find out more about Aviva grassroots schemes visit www.aviva.com/athletics
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Weather for Wigan
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 14 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: West
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Temperature: 11 C to 25 C
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