Rossendale Leisure Trust is delighted to celebrate Ivy, a talented young athlete from Rossendale Harriers, who has been selected as part of the Rossendale Rising Stars Scheme – an initiative designed to support the borough’s most promising young sportspeople.
Ivy has enjoyed an outstanding couple of years in athletics, competing regularly at local, county, regional and national level across cross country, road and track events. Her dedication and progression have seen her achieve a series of impressive results, marking her out as one of Lancashire’s rising talents.
In 2024, Ivy achieved top 10 finishes at both the National Fell Championships for U13 Girls and the Year 7 Girls category, showcasing her strength and consistency on the national stage. Building on this success, 2025 has been a breakthrough year. She won the Rossendale Schools 1500m for Year 7 girls in a new record time, breaking a record that had stood since 2012. She was also crowned Rossendale Schools Cross Country Champion for Years 8 and 9 and is now nationally ranked in the 800m, 1500m and 5km events for U13 Girls.
On the track, Ivy reached the final of the Lancashire Athletics Association 800m Championships, finishing an impressive 4th, and also competed in the North of England Track & Field Championships. Over the 2025 track season alone, she has taken a remarkable 18 seconds off her 800m personal best, highlighting her rapid development.
One of Ivy’s standout achievements is qualifying for the Lancashire U13 Girls Cross Country Team, meaning she will represent the county at the Inter Counties Cross Country Championships in March 2026 in Nottingham – a major milestone in her young career and a key goal she set herself for the year.
The Rossendale Rising Stars Scheme provides free fitness memberships to athletes aged 11–25 who live, train or study in Rossendale and compete at regional level or higher. The scheme gives access to Rossendale Leisure Trust’s gyms, swimming pools and fitness classes, helping young athletes enhance performance while supporting both physical and mental wellbeing.
Speaking about joining the scheme, Ivy said:
“Having access to gym facilities will enable me to train further and develop my performance.”
Rossendale Leisure Trust is proud to support Ivy as she continues to progress through the ranks of athletics. Her commitment, achievements and ambition reflect the very best of young sporting talent in the borough, and we look forward to following her journey as she competes at county level and beyond.
For more information about the Rossendale Rising Stars Scheme or to apply, visit:
https://rltrust.co.uk/young-person-talented-athlete-scheme/
