RISING young pentathlete Heather Fell from Merrivale has proved she is a match for the best competitors in the country, after coming fourth in the British Open Pentathlon held in Bath recently.
Heather, aged 19, has now shot to fifth ranking nationally with her magnificent competition result — Tavistock's Kate Allenby, bronze medal winner in the 2000 Olympics, came third.
Heather's mother Doreen Fell said: 'She was absolutely thrilled — it was her birthday on the day, so it was a nice present!
'She's top junior overall in the country, but this result means she's gone way up the adult rankings.'
On the strength of her British Open success, Heather jetted off to Egypt yesterday (Wednesday) for an international pentathlon competition and is hoping to go to Australia later in the year.
Doreen said Heather, who will compete as a junior until she is 21, is eager to follow in Kate Allenby's footsteps and represent her country at the Olympic games.
She said: 'Kate has always given great encouragement to Heather. It's her dream to go to the Olympics and now it is a possibility.'
Heather is in her first year at Brunel University in London, studying for a degree in physiotherapy, so she is currently juggling course-work, training and travelling to competitions.
Modern pentathlon combines the disciplines of swimming, running, riding, fencing and shooting.
Heather is training in every sport while in London and recently joined a fencing club which has found favour with the national pentathlon team, and is based in Bath.
Doreen said she was 'very proud' of her daughter.
'She works very hard, she gets up at the crack of dawn to train — she deserves to do well,' she said.