Hi my name is Ashley. I live in South Yorkshire and have been involved with athletics for over 13 years now, starting as an athlete and then progressing into gaining many coaching awards.

I have been coordinator of two Athletics networks and have been an executive committee member of my athletics club, gaining knowledge and understanding of organising and running athletics from the background for developing athletes, coaches and officials. I wanted to be part of YAG to be involved in developing athletics in the future, and being part of a young voice which is being listened to.

Ashley’s Blog

Thursday gave us a surprise winner in the 100m final at the Diamond league in Rome. Justin Gatlin beat Usain Bolt by one hundredth of a second! This isn’t a lot at all, but meant the difference between finishing first and second. Although every time Gatlin races there are lots of debates stirred about drugs in sport.

There seems to be a clear divide between people who believe in giving people a second chance and others who believe those who have taken drugs should not be allowed to compete again. Whilst this topic will constantly be debated, all I hear during my coaching sessions is ‘I want to run as fast as Bolt’ or ‘I want to jump like Jess Ennis’. For me, the positive role models in our sport far outweigh those that have been banned for doing drugs, and it is these positive role models we want to encourage young athletes to be like. Coaching at EIS Sheffield with young athletes being able to see Jess training provides the inspiration and motivation that our sport needs, and I am happy to be a part of the young athlete’s dreams of one day becoming an athlete.