Director of Holbeck gym to compete in European Championships

Director of Motive8 North Gym in Holbeck Urban Village goes for gold at 2017 Soria ETU Duathlon European Championships

Jenny Cromack, director at Motive8 North Personal Training Studio and Gym in Holbeck Urban Village, is set to go for gold this April as she has been chosen to represent Team GB in the female 34-39 category at the 2017 Soria ETU Duathlon European Championships in Spain.

Jenny Cromack (right) competing in the 2016 Black Sheep Brewery Ripon Triathlon.

Jenny, originally from Beeston, qualified in October 2016, finishing 4th in the qualifiers at Oulton Park, Cheshire. On 30th April, she will don her Team GB kit and head to Soria in northern Spain to compete in the standard distance duathlon, which consists of a gruelling 10km run followed by an excruciating 40km bike ride, finishing with a 5km run in the hilly Spanish countryside.

In preparation for the event, Jenny is currently enduring an intense 6-days-per-week training programme, most of which is taking place in and around Motive8 in Marshall’s Court, Holbeck Urban Village. The programme consists of two 45-minute strength sessions per week, 4 runs per week which includes work on speed and endurance, two hour-long turbo training sessions, a 3 hour bike ride on a weekend, and as much cycling as she can fit in between.

Jenny competed in the Lancaster Sprint Duathlon on Saturday (4 March 2017), coming sixth on a tough cross country course. She has two more races coming up to get her prepared for the championships; she will be taking in the Clumber Park Standard Duathlon on 18 March and the Skipton Triathlon on 9 April.

As well as preparing for the highly-anticipated event, Jenny has ambitions to expand the Motive8 business and open a third studio, adding to the premises in Holbeck and Saxton. Commented Jenny:

“The thought of representing Team GB is really daunting, but I’m over the moon that I finished in the top four and have this fantastic opportunity to compete with some of Europe’s other top age-group athletes. I started competing in triathlons about 18 months ago as I’ve always been a strong runner and a keen cyclist, but I found the swimming was a struggle for me. When I came across the opportunity to take part in a duathlon, it was a no brainer.

“Thankfully, being down at Motive8 in Holbeck every day means that I get to do my training amongst some of the beautiful heritage buildings in the area, as well as alongside the beautiful Leeds Liverpool canal. The training has been tough, but the support from my colleagues and members at Motive8 and people in the area has been brilliant and has really spurred me on.”