History is made as Jill takes the chair at Harborough AC

Jill Roginski (third from left) has become the new chair at Harborough AC. She is pictured alongside, from left, Beth Smith (treasurer), Will Clapp (outgoing chair) and Howard Crabtree (secretary). Picture courtesy of ©Osborne Photography

Jill Roginski has become the first woman to take on the role of chair of Harborough Athletic Club.

The club held its annual meeting last month and it featured lots of lively debate and enthusiasm from the 30 club members in attendance.

It’s been another challenging year but the club has arguably emerged stronger - with a new home at the town’s rugby club, a successful relaunch event with guest of honour, England and Tigers legend Martin Johnson, an improved website and booking system and a new eight-lane x 100m grass track together with a throwing area.

The offer of the track and throwing area has helped grow the club’s thriving junior section with, on average, two new young athletes coming for taster sessions each week since the summer with 95 per cent signing up for full membership.

During the meeting, the role of chair was passed from Will Clapp to GB Masters international pentathlete/heptathlete Roginski.

Clapp said: “I’d like to thank the committee for all their work in what have been difficult times.

“I’m really pleased to be handing over the chair to Jill, who will be the first woman to take the role since the club was formed in 1984 and will no doubt navigate the next period of the club’s development with her customary upbeat approach and dedication.”

Roginski has been a member of Harborough AC since 2004 with her achievements including becoming British Indoor and Outdoor Pentathlon champion in 2017 and 2019, becoming British Heptathlon champion in 2018 and being a bronze medalist in the pentathlon at the World Masters Indoor Championship in 2019.

She added: “We have a wealth of knowledge and expertise within our running community and will utilise this with the help of England Athletics to further improve our coaching expertise and the experiences of our members both young and more mature.

“We can offer opportunities for all to try different events in a friendly and non-threatening environment so they have the confidence to ‘have a go’ in competitions. It’s certainly how I started.”

Harborough AC has been offering a wide range of activities from road racing and cross country to track and field since 1984.

It has 186 members split more or less equally between male and female with 47 members in the junior 8-14 age group.

For more information and to enquire about joining visit www.harboroughac.co.uk