AN athlete who sings as she runs is proving to be ‘unstoppable’ as she hones her sporting prowess.
Barnard Castle Preparatory School pupil Freya Turner has just been selected for the U12 county hockey squad after successfully completing trials for Durham.
The 11-year-old is a fan of Australian singer song writer Sia and often sings her chart topping Unstoppable to get her across the line whether that is in hockey or cross country.
Freya has been playing hockey since she was six and is now representing her school at county as a high forward despite being a year young.
“I went for trials at Durham and managed to get on the end of a long pass,” said Freya. “It was me versus the goalie so I tried a long shot from the side and it went in. There were two county coaches watching and I received an email saying I’d been selected to play for County Durham.
“I love hockey and it’s great to be part of a team and still have the opportunity to run the length of the pitch to score.”
Freya will train with the squad and also play in a tournament in Leeds in April. “I do have to raise my game at county and the coaches are very good at telling me things I don’t know,” she said. “I would love one day to be a member of Team GB’s hockey squad at the Olympics.”
Freya also has a natural talent for running and won this year’s Prep Barnard Castle Run, coming second in a recent inter-schools competition. “I started running in Pre-Prep and have always enjoyed it,” she said. “I sing songs in my head to keep me motivated, particularly Sia’s Unstoppable.”
Freya will be part of the School’s team as they enter the National Prep School Cross Country Championships in March.
During the summer she switches to athletics and is also part of the Durham Super 4s cricket pathway as a fast bowler and batsman.
Prep School head of sport Martin Burgess said: “Freya is a talented all-round athlete with a natural ability that makes any sport she chooses look easy. She is committed and determined to improve all the time so it’s great for her and the school that she has been selected by county.”
