A talented, young York athlete who represented England once again last weekend is now the proud owner of two more gold medals.
Millthorpe School student, Rowan Whittaker, aged 16, proudly wore his England strip on Saturday at the Home Countries’ International Schools’ Track and Field Championship in Derby, where he competed in both the U17s 400m and 4 x 400m relay events. Despite battling heavy rain and difficult track conditions, Rowan delivered two commanding performances – and came away with gold in both races.
Rowan qualified for the championships, having won gold in both events at the English Schools’ Championships the previous weekend.
Even though the bad weather at the weekend was not conducive to beating his personal best, he has now run three consecutive races in under 47 seconds. In addition, Rowan’s dominant performances at both championships means that he is now ranked number one in the Under-17 400m category across Europe.
Rowan said “I am so proud to have won gold medals in both of my events. The weather was terrible – it didn’t seem to stop raining all day – so not the best conditions to run in, but we were all in it together! It was such a great experience and brilliant to run with the rest of the relay team, and stand on the podium with them of course!”
Rowan’s mum, Elisabeth Horton said “I’m a very proud mum! It’s been quite a year for Rowan – he’s just taken his GCSEs so he’s been really busy with school work, but he also picked up an injury earlier in the year, so he’s had to train extra hard to get back to form. Our thanks once again to Paul Daynes and Greg How, Rowan’s amazing coaches at the City of York Athletics Association, and to everyone at Millthorpe School who has supported Rowan on his journey.”
Kavina Rothenburg, Principal at Millthorpe School said “We were all very excited when we heard Rowan had qualified once again for the Home Countries Championships and knew he had the potential to do something special, but to hear he has come away with two gold medals is incredible! We’re all hugely proud and can’t wait to see what is next for him.”
The Home Countries International Schools’ Track and Field Championship is an annual competition held between the four home nations: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Rowan is currently seeking sponsorship to help cover the growing costs of training and competition. He is also looking for a sports massage therapist to help keep his legs in peak condition. If you’re able to support in any way, please contact his mum, Elisabeth Horton, by email: lishorton@icloud.com.
23 July 2025
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