Annalise Jones a twelve year old member of Billingham ice skating club and a pupil of Northfield School was competing against figure skaters from all over the country some as old as 15 years of age at the recent Hull Open. Annalise rose to the occasion and she produced her best skate to date convincingly winning the competition and achieving a PB of 32.37 with a technical element score of 16.20.

Annalise started skating on the Saturday morning classes at the Billingham Forum when she was 6 years old. Her dedication and hard work has resulted in her moving quickly through the 10 National Skating Association test levels and she now holds the full level 7 test, additionally she has achieved the score required for the level 8 elements and free test.

There is no rest for Annalise, who skates 7 times a week spending up to 14 hours on the ice and this is supplemented by 3 hours on off ice conditioning, because on the 2^nd August 2017 at Sheffield Ice Arena, 12-year-old, Annalise achieved the qualification score for the British Championships which will take place from 28th November to 4^th December 2017. To qualify Annalise had to achieve a technical element score of 14.5, after a successful skate she was awarded a technical element score of 15.87 and an overall score of 31.59.

Annalise’s coach Cathryn McCabe said “Annalise’s success so far is a result of her continuous hard work. She loves to skate and does not need to be pushed by anyone to train. Annalise has the potential to achieve further, so long as she continues to work hard and challenge herself in the way she has done so far.’

More about Tees Active Sport Academy here.