Page 22 - OO_2018

FEATURE
Jess aiming for Olympic gold
Jess Varley (L 13) explains to Simon Redfern (Sc 75) why she took up modern pentathlon and outlines her ambitions
Oundle School has nurtured quite a few international sportsmen in its 462-year
history, but Jess Varley is only its second female modern pentathlete.
The five disciplines – running, swimming, shooting, fencing and horse riding – could have something to do with that, although it didn’t stop Jess, who follows in the footsteps of Caroline Bullard (K 02), once she had set her mind on following that path.
That was at the age of just 12, when the 23-year-old added fencing to the four other disciplines she was already proficient at.
“At home we always had lots of animals and my Mum had a horse that she competed on whilst I was growing up, so that naturally sparked my interest and love of equestrian,” Jess explained.
“At primary school it became clear I was a natural runner, so the teachers suggested I join a local athletics club.
“The combination of running and riding led to Pony Club Tetrathlon: running, swimming, shooting and horse riding.
“I could already swim and then spent many evenings practising pistol shooting. I really enjoyed Pony Club Tetrathlon; between the ages of 8 and 18 it was a huge part of my life.
“Modern pentathlon was the next step, mainly because I love competing and I really love winning! I also enjoy the challenge of training for it; it's so varied and keeps me really busy.”
At Oundle, Jess generally concentrated on swimming and running, but still found time to take
part in modern pentathlon events in the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland.
She recalled: “Oundle enabled me to combine training and studying, and to get the best out of both: great A levels and competing as an international athlete!
“I was allowed to swim and run (both athletics and cross-country) with the older years, so I could do a great deal of my training at School. If I had lessons all day, I would swim before School and run at lunchtime!
“Every teacher I had understood that I was very busy outside School and that sometimes I would be away for competitions. They showed great trust in me, knowing I would always keep on top of my academic work.”
After Oundle she attended the University of Bath, where she gained a degree in Natural Sciences to keep
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