Sky Academy Sports Scholarships: Holly Bleasdale blogs on winter training, her wedding and 2015
Last Updated: 24/03/17 1:48pm
Winter training is in full swing. The focus is on gaining fitness, strength and power ahead of long competing seasons.
I’m really looking forward to getting back and seeing what I can do with all the things I’ve learnt over the past two years about myself and pole vaulting
Holly Bleasdale
My training at the minute consists of continuous circuits, running sessions and running circuits, weight sessions and technical work. As everyone knows, I've really struggled with injuries and maintaining full fitness and health throughout the past few years.
As such my main aim this winter, and throughout 2015, is maintaining an injury-free status and a healthy balanced training while trying to push and improve myself to jump higher. My training is going really well, I’m feeling fitter and stronger week-by-week and am aiming to keep this going moving into 2015, where I want to be stronger, faster and jumping higher than ever.
A major highlight of the past few months was my marriage in October, which was the most amazing day of my life so far. It was amazing from start to finish and was lovely to see all my friends and family in one place at one time, having fun and enjoying themselves.
Wedding cake
I think my pole vault wedding cake and the pudding during the meal was one of the best bits of the day. It certainly went down well with the guests, anyway! Our cake looked outstanding and better than I could have ever imagined, while the assiette chocolate dessert (white chocolate mousse, milk chocolate brownie and dark chocolate tart) was outstanding!
A big consideration I had to think about was the issue of my name. It feels weird to have changed my name to Bradshaw, but I thought it would get too much if I double barrelled Bleasdale-Bradshaw, especially when my middle name is Bethan too. That’s one too many B's for anyone!
I’m looking forward to 2015 a lot. It’s been two years now since I got to compete in an outdoor season and I’ve really missed it. Seeing all my friends on the circuit and watching everyone out there competing and having the opportunity to do something special, has been tough.
As such, I’m really looking forward to getting back and seeing what I can do with all the things I’ve learnt over the past two years about myself and pole vaulting. My main aim is the 2015 outdoor World Championships in Beijing; I didn't make it to Russia in 2013 because of injury, and Daegu in 2011 was a little bit too early for me in my career, so I’m making no mistakes this year.
I’m going to be prepared and ready to be at my best. I’ve had a few set-backs over the past six months and I’ve learnt some valuable lessons, including rushing for something never ends well, so I'm taking my time and making sure everything is right before throwing myself in the deep end.
