People

Emily Benham

 

Profile

The 2010 Mountain Bike Orienteering (MTBO) season will see me progress from the junior classes to the Elite Women races where the competition field is highly competitive and challenging. I am in my final year at Sheffield Hallam University where I study Physiotherapy, a course which has enabled me to become a professional and to develop as a highly trained and dedicated athlete. I am also a highly active member of Hallam Cycling club, where I designed the club jersey’s and organised the annual varsity races. My high level of involvement in the club are due to having been the Vice Chair and playing an active role on the club committee for two years.

I currently coach two up-and-coming members of the Great Britain MTBO team and also a young junior in foot Orienteering. To support my individual coaching, I also work with the Great Britain Junior (under 17’s) squad and I am the Vice President of the British Schools Orienteering Association.

During the last two years, I have become more dedicated and motivated with my training as I strive to acheive my goals. The 2009 training season ran from November 1st and finished on my return from Israel on the 16th August. I am self-coached as I prefer to gather my information from a wide variety of athletes and coaches, and at the beginning of each season (October) I plan out my training for the full year to fit it around my University work and social life.

Due to the intensity of the Physiotherapy course I have had to manage my time to the highest levels, in order to train to my full potential. My training during the winter consists of 16 hour weeks, which then range from 10-16 hours in the spring, before focussing on speed and MTBO in the late spring and summer.

My season finished in 2009 with the World Championships in Israel, where dealing with the high temperatures and staying hydrated presented the toughest challenge. I adapted well to the conditions and fully realised the pivotal role slight dehydration plays on performance, and hence took measures to combat this. Pre-Israel I was aiming for a top 15 position, but thought a top 10 would be achievable if I had a perfect race. I returned with 2 eighth places, which were not only a PB for myself, but also the highest results a Great British athlete has achieved in any World Orienteering Championships, let alone their debut! More encouragingly, I was less than 20 seconds off the top 6 in both races, which bodes well for the 2010 Worlds’ in Portugal.

In the next few of years, it is my goal to become World and European Champion in the Long distance, the most prestigious event.

Publicity and Publications

I currently have a MTBO column in UK Adventure Sports Magazine, and frequently write articles for the two national Orienteering publications: Compass Sport and Focus, as well as my club and regional magazines: Scan and Sins.

I frequently inform the University of my results, and after my results in Israel and Denmark an article was written about my achievements which was put in the Sport Hallam magazine. The Organiser of the Junior World Championships asked me in April to write a profile of myself to go on the website of the event, and this profile can now be found on the majority of Orienteering federation websites around the world.

In the next few months I am hoping to set-up a personal website, where I will advertise my sponsors alongside recent results and upcoming races.

I also have an online blog, embenham1.blogspot.com where I promote my sponsors and contributors as well as updating it each week with the various activities and sessions I do.

Recent Results

British Championships Long 2009
British Championships Middle 2009
British University MTB Championships 5th
Junior World Championships Sprint 2009 4th
Junior World Championships Middle 2009 6th
Junior World Championships Long 2009 5th
World Championships Sprint 2009 8th
World Championships Middle 2009 8th
World Cup Round 3 (W21E) 16th
World Cup Round 4 (W21E) 21st
World Cup Round 5 (W21E) 5th
World Cup Round 6 (W21E) 7th
World Cup Round 7 (W21E) 4th
World Cup Round 8 (W21E) 5th

Previous Results
European Junior Championships Sprint 2007
European Junior Championships Middle 2007 6th
European Junior Championships Long 2007 5th
British Championships Long 2008
British Championships Middle 2008
British University MTB Championships 2008 14th
European Junior Championships Sprint 2008
European Junior Championships Middle 2008
European Junior Championships Long 2008
Junior World Championships Sprint 2008 9th
Junior World Championships Middle 2008 7th
Junior World Championships Long 2008 4th

I am very keen to promote my sponsors at every available opportunity, and make a big effort to attend any publicity events such as the Outdoors Show, and Bike Radar Events. I am due to have a new set of business cards printed which I frequently distribute, and I also promote my sponsors by putting the name and logo onto my jacket, cycling kit, and bike.