Purdue determined to put injury troubles in the past

By Tom Reynolds, Sportsbeat

CHARLOTTE Purdue has vowed not to let her current injury setback get the better of her as she sets her sights on a starring role at this summer's World Junior Championships.

BOUNCING BACK: British youngster Charlotte Purdue is determined to return stronger than ever after injury troubles over the winter

The 18-year-old - Aldershot, Farnham and District AC member - suffered a stress fracture of the knee in November, which subsequently curtailed her cross country season.

Purdue's frustration was heightened by the fact she had been pre-selected for the European Cross-Country Championships, which took place in Dublin last December.

She had targeted Dublin as the perfect place to build on the 5000m silver she won at the European Junior Championships in Serbia last summer.

But while conceding the setback had been a bitter pill to swallow, Purdue insists she will bounce back stronger than ever when she bids to turn European silver in to world gold later this year.

"I am hoping to start running in the next two weeks," said Purdue, who is a part of the NikeWomen ‘Victory' campaign.

"If I hadn't picked up the injury I would have definitely gone to the European Cross-Country Championships because I was pre-selected. That was a shame.

"I was really hoping to go so it was a disappointment but I still have one more year in that under-20 category so hopefully I will not have missed out altogether.

"This year is my last year as a junior so the World Junior Championships in Canada are the biggest aim for me and I want to push on after winning silver at the Europeans.

"I have stepped up my training this year because I have started at St Mary's University. I am hoping that it will really help me push on after winning a medal at the European Junior Championships.

"I know the World Championships are going to be a lot harder because there are quite a few good Kenyan girls around so it will be a step up and I know they will put in a fast pace and a good sprint at the end.

"The Europeans were a straight final and the worlds will be as well. The girl who beat me in Serbia went off really hard at the start and it was boiling hot so it was quite hard but a great experience."

Purdue has recently started a history degree at St Mary's College in Twickenham but still returns home on a regular basis to continue her training at Aldershot.

And with a host of running talent currently on the books of the Aldershot athletics club, including 2008 world 1500m junior champion Steph Twell, Purdue revealed there is nowhere else she would prefer to learn her trade.

"The Aldershot club is really thriving at the moment, there is Steph Twell, Emma Pallant, Emelia Gorecka, Georiga Peel and I think Steph first started it off and Emma came along shortly after," she added.

"And then I started training with them and I got better and now Emelia is doing well and both her and Georgia train with us.

"We all train together most of the time. We get on really well and everyone just learns from each other and how they are doing and that helps everyone get better.

"Obviously Steph and Emma are the ones we look up to but after what I have achieved now I think they are starting to look up to me as well and that is nice."

Charlotte Purdue is training for victory in the new NikeWomen Fly Sister One shoe, featuring Diamond FLX technology, created especially for women to enhance multi-directional movement. NikeWomen.com