Name Connie Henry | ||
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WORLD AND OLYMPIC CHAMPION CHRISTIAN TAYLOR VISITS CONNIE HENRY'S TRACK ACADEMY
Connie Henry (born 15 April 1972 in London) is a British sports journalist and former triple jumper who represented Great Britain and England internationally.
Contents
- WORLD AND OLYMPIC CHAMPION CHRISTIAN TAYLOR VISITS CONNIE HENRYS TRACK ACADEMY
- Track Academy
- References
She was second at the AAA Championships in 1992 but it was another four years before she reached the podium for a second time, when she took the AAA bronze medal in 1996. That year, her season's best jump of 13.55 metres left her ranked third in the event nationally behind Ashia Hansen and Michelle Griffith. She was third at the briefly revived UK Athletics Championships in 1997, finishing behind Hansen and Griffith at the event.
The 1998 season proved to be the peak of her career, which she began with her sole triple jump victory at the AAA Championships. She set an Australian all-comers record of 13.86 m en route to her win as an invited athlete at the country's national championships. In the summer she set a personal best mark of 13.95 m in Thurrock, took fourth at the 1998 European Cup, and represented Great Britain at the 1998 European Athletics Championships. Her season culminated in a bronze medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, where she jumped one centimetre off her best to finish behind Hansen and Cameroonian Françoise Mbango.
She was third at the 2000 AAA Championships, but she decided to retire from professional athletics that year. Since her retirement, she has moved into athletics journalism and founded and currently directs Community Interest Company Connie Henry's Track Academy. She has provided commentary for broadcasters such as Eurosport and the BBC, reporting on events such as the IAAF World Championships in Athletics and the Summer Olympics.
Track Academy
Track Academy was founded by Connie Henry in 2007. The London-based organisation was designed to use sports and study support to young people to reduce negative community influences such as gangs, drugs and crime. The Willesden Junior Athletics Squad (closed 2010) was a precursor to the organisation, and the idea was expanded to go beyond a sports-only focus. West London Sports Trust, a local charity, partnered with the group to relaunch it as Track Academy in 2011 and gain funding. The Academy is a registered Community Interest Company and has supported hundreds of young people in London.