A Merseyside schoolgirl said winning a national cross country event was the happiest day of her life.
Molly Carvell, 13, won the Junior Girls race at the English Schools Cross Country Championships in Nottingham's Wollaton Park on Saturday (March 18). Representing Merseyside Schools, Molly won with a time of 12.16, beating the runner-up by a second.
As a result Molly, from Bromborough, will represent England in a Home Countries International Event at Sefton Park on Saturday. The Wirral Grammar School pupil, who runs for Liverpool Harriers, cannot wait to compete for England.
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Mum Emma Carvell told the ECHO that the England call up is the culmination of years of hard work. She said: "It all started at quite a young age, she took part in a primary school cross country race that happens three or four times a year.
"We were just told that she wanted to do a run, so we turned up at Arrowe Park field one muddy and rainy Thursday.
"There were lots of them in Year 3 or 4 and off they went. You just stood on the sideline as a parent watching. Suddenly I said 'Is that Molly?', she was right up there at the front.
"We couldn't believe it, she was a really good runner. She didn't win that race, but she came near the top - she did really well.
"It was at that point that we were like 'hang on a minute, this is something she's really good at and she really enjoys'.
"That's never faltered for Molly. There's times when it's pouring down with rain, it's freezing and I say 'Mol, why don't you give training a miss?'. She'll say 'Mum, no, I'm going'."
That commitment allowed Molly to come back from a tough winter, which saw her affected by injuries.
Emma said: "She's so dedicated. Last year was really tough for her, illness wise.
"She suffered with chest infections, then she got covid, and it really knocked her performance off. It was that time when her dad and I realised how important running was to us as a family as well.
"We felt sad at the thought that it might be something that she wouldn't carry on with. But she did, she was determined and she built her strength up bit by bit.
"But late last year, just before Christmas, she went on a training run to Arrowe Park and she hurt her foot. It was during the cold snap, the top of her foot sprained.
"That was a big set back, she should have been doing hill training in preparation for this race. But she couldn't run, she couldn't even walk.
"She replaced her running with swimming. She went swimming every day and did strength exercises at home.
"So, because of that, we just wanted her to do her best."
Coming from a spell of injury trouble, Molly surprised herself with her victory. After the race, she told Athletics Weekly: “I can’t believe it as I didn’t think I would get into the top 10 as I was only 15th in the (English) National and I had been injured and ill all December and January and missed races.”
Emma added: "We were then over the moon with her performance on Saturday.
"When she won, I went down to the pen and then we were taken into a tent. They sat all the girls down in a row and then the parents sat behind and they then said 'You have now been selected to represent your country in the Inter-Country next week'.
"It was the happiest tent I've ever been in, it was so nice because it felt like none of them expected it. They were just grinning from ear to ear, that pride."
She said: "We are so proud of Molly and can't believe she gets to represent England this weekend in Sefton Park. She has worked so hard for this, and many thanks to her coach John Cross of Liverpool Harriers for helping her so much. The Merseyside team did brilliantly and all the kids should be very proud."
Now, Molly's attention is focused on this Saturday and the race at Sefton Park. The South Liverpool park will host the SIAB Cross Country Championships, which will see runners competing for England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
Emma added: "I've never known somebody who is so happy and so excited. She's just bursting with pride herself, she said Saturday was the happiest day of her life.
"If only we could bottle up that feeling."
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