Massive congratulations to Isle of Wight athlete, Jess Andrews, who last weekend qualified to compete in the Rio Olympics this summer.
As well as qualifying, Jess also exceeded her personal best by 83 seconds in the 10,000m trials.
Jess will be representing Great Britain and of course, flying the flag for the Isle of Wight where she grew up.
Andrews: “I had nothing to lose”
She told BBC Sport,
“Everyone dreams of the Olympics. But it’s whether you’re dreaming about the reality, or whether you think, ah, it’s a dream, it’s never going to happen.
“I’m still a little bit shell-shocked. I’ve been training really hard, crazy hard, and I believed it was going to be my day.
“It’s weird – I’d had vibes in training, thinking I was feeling really good, and I had nothing to lose.”
Later, Jess, a former Sandown Bay student, wrote on Facebook yesterday,
“Thank you all for all of the amazing support & messages! I’m absolutely speechless. The smile still hasn’t gone!
“I had the run of my life. I guess it pays off being surrounded by people who have never stopped believing in me. You all know who you are. Something always told me this one was more than just a dream.”
Shows what dedication and hard work can achieve
Martin Goodall, Chair IW Island Games Association, told OnTheWight this morning,
“Jess’s performance over the weekend was absolutely amazing and she has now launched herself onto the world stage. This just goes to show what dedication and hard work can achieve.
“We wish her every success at the Olympic Games in Rio this summer and hope the whole Island will get behind her.”
Image: © Jess Andrews/Facebook
