Tayvallich teen en route to world championships
A young Tayvallich athlete will be competing on the world stage this summer after being selected for both the Junior World Orienteering Championships and the European Youth Orienteering Championships.
Lochgilphead pupil Iris Macmillan is one of just six young women on the Great Britain team who will head to Aguiar De Beira, Portugal, in July to compete in the junior world championships in a sport she has grown up with and trained hard to excel in.
The 16-year-old has trained alongside her older siblings, Jura and Louis, with the Loch Eck orienteering club since she was eight years old and has been part of the Scottish junior orienteering squad since 2019 and was selected to the British orienteering talent squad in 2020.
Now, after successfully completing six selection races, she will compete against much older athletes at the world championships which is an under-21 event.
Before she heads to Portugal Iris is due, the week before, to race in Salgótarján, Hungary from July 1 to 4, and she is ready for the challenge.
Iris said: ‘I really enjoy the challenge of running in terrain in areas I’ve never visited before. I train all year round, running with a head-torch after school in winter and I travel away most weekends to train and attend orienteering camps and competitions all over the country.’
Great Britain Orienteering performance director Bernie Dietzig said of the selections: ‘In order to get themselves in contention for selection, the athletes needed to demonstrate strong resilience and consistency over a number of selection races. Huge congratulations to everyone selected for the championships this summer.
‘Following the disruption to the competition calendar over the last two years, it will be a great opportunity for our athletes to get out there and compete internationally again. I am wishing everyone a successful preparation period and best of luck for the championships.’