Page 26 - Millfield 20 Stories

No. 12
THE TRAILBLAZER

“Only one thing beat the “Like any sport, a huge part of bobsleigh is
rush of racing down the mental preparation. At Millfield I could
really test my focus – from training
ice at 70 miles per hour and studying to carrying out my Head
– realising we’d made Girl duties.
history.” “I love to keep busy. Now I have a Law
degree and am recording my own
For Jazmin Sawyers, winning the first songs and training for senior athletics
silver medal for bobsleigh at the Winter championships. In 2014, I won the
Youth Olympics 2012 was the conclusion silver medal for long jump at the
to a journey that began two years earlier Commonwealth Games and then went
– at Millfield. on to represent Team GB at Rio 2016
and the Commonwealth Games
“I started out as an athlete. But far from 2018. I also recorded a new version of
encouraging me to just stick with what I Jerusalem as the official anthem of the
was already good at, the school opened Commonwealth Games.
up lots of new sporting opportunities –
and they really couldn’t get much more “I’ve said the sensible thing is to stay with
different than bobsleigh.” my athletics and see how far I can go
before I return to bobsleigh – but I’m not
During the run up to the Winter sure I’ll be able to wait. There’s nothing
Youth Olympics, the British Bobsleigh like it – it gives me a bigger buzz than
Association approached the school, anything else.”
because of its reputation, in search
of talented athletes like Jazmin. At Millfield, all pupils have the opportunity
to discover new sports, and get the expert
“The games would be the first time support that allows many to excel at them.
athletes under 18 could compete at
bobsleigh. I’d competed at international
sporting events before – winning gold in
two events at the Youth Commonwealth
Games – which helped me handle
the pressure.