Perse student maps out international orienteering success

Hebe (Lower Sixth) has plotted a course to international success at a major orienteering competition in the Netherlands.

She was part of the England team that won the overall and junior categories at the Interland Cup, where competitors aged from 14 to 65 took on squads from France, Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as the host nation.

The reigning British Schools champion in her age class was chosen for the England squad following her performances representing West Anglian Orienteering Club at selection races in the Lake District and the New Forest last autumn.

At the Interland Cup, Hebe was entered into the women’s U20 section, having been the highest-ranked England U18 orienteer who has yet to represent Great Britain.

Hebe put in an impressive performance to come seventh in her race against many older and more experienced participants and was delighted with the outcome.

She said: “It was one of the best runs I’ve ever had. I was the second of the England runners to finish and I was only five minutes down on the winner, but most of the other orienteers were six months to two years older than me so it was a tough competition.

“I finished just behind someone who had been to the European Youth Championships, so it was amazing to keep up with someone of that standard and do well against them.”

Held on a military area in the north of the Netherlands, Hebe felt it was a course that suited her style.

She said: “The course was extremely fast. It was mostly sandy with forest paths that had generally been pushed down by tanks that had rolled on them.

“There was a really complex sand dune area where you had to make sure you came in at the right point, but I enjoyed it and felt I had a really good run.”