Euxton pole vault queen helps Chorley kids (From Chorley Citizen)
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Euxton pole vault queen helps Chorley kids
2:50pm Monday 23rd April 2012 in News
Holly bleasdale sits in the Throne of Words
One of Great Britain’s most promising Olympic athletes visited a Chorley school to help pupils create a magazine about the event.
Pole vaulter Holly Bleasdale, who lives in Euxton, is tipped to get a medal this summer.
The 20-year-old went to Southlands High School last week, where students are producing an Up-Close magazine, based on people involved with the Olympics.
The people featuring in the magazine will be involved in some capacity in the 2012 Olympics as well as people who featured in previous Olympic Games.
Already a number of interviews have taken place and two weeks ago the interview took place with local Chorley athlete Holly.
Deputy head teacher, Brian Souter, said: “The students were amazed to find out Holly has more than 40 poles, of different lengths.
“She explained that it depends on where an athlete holds the pole as to how high they will jump.
“The higher up the pole, the higher one can jump. She said the pole vault is a very technical event and even the best vaulters can get it wrong.”
Holly mentioned how she is very young to be in the top group in the world in such a technical event and how he is very excited at being able to compete in London, however she does feel that in 2016 she will be in a stronger position and that the East Europeans are extremely strong at the pole vault event.
Mr Souter added that the students and staff will now follow Holly very carefully and that the 26-strong magazine team would be watching the pole vault in the summer.
