Common goal

WITH the Commonwealth Games taking place in Glasgow, Jessica Fullalove is preparing for a big year.

Swimming:

OLDHAM’S talented swim starlet Jessica Fullalove is hoping 2014 will be the year she achieves her senior Games dream.

The 17-year-old AS-level student from Royton has enjoyed plenty of medal success in the past 12 months. But the new year promises high intensity from the off, and hopefully a place in Great Britain’s Commonwealth Games squad for a showpiece event in Glasgow in July.

City of Manchester swimmer Jessica said: “I’ve been really pleased with 2013, I feel like I’ve made really good progress. It was definitely an improvement on last year.

“I’ve had some good results, particularly at the World Junior Championships in Dubai in the summer and the British championships earlier in the year. I performed well in Italy quite recently, when I was up against some really tough opposition.

“It’s all about getting better and better and continually improving, so as long as I keep doing that I’ll be happy.”

For Jessica there was little time for resting and enjoying Christmas with her family. Training schedules and programmes remained her priority: “Training and gym sessions are pretty much relentless,” she said. “I had Christmas Day and Boxing Day off, but that was about it. I couldn’t afford to take any more time off.

“I’ve got a two-week intensive training camp in California soon and also I’ll be racing for Great Britain in Belgium. Then it’s the Commonwealth Games trials in April.”

With the Commonwealth Games back in Britain for the first time since Manchester 2002, Jess’s selection would mean a first senior multi-sport international event appearance - and in front of a home crowd.

“Because I did pretty well last year I think I’ve got a good chance of getting in the team for Glasgow.

“It would be an absolutely brilliant experience. To be a part of it would be just amazing.

“If it happens it happens, though. I’ll have put all the hard work in before the trials in April, but if I don’t make it into the team it won’t be the end of the world. I’m still only 17, so I’ve got a lot of time on my side.”