Elgin High School pupil Holly Whittaker, 15, speaks about numerous national gold medals and topping the Scottish Athletics’ ranks for hurdles, long jump and heptathlon

Champion athlete Holly Whittaker is on a ‘constant high’ after completing a sensational summer of sporting action.

The Elgin High School fifth year pupil doesn’t turn 16 until later this month, but she is ranked as Scotland’s number one long jumper, as well as being the country’s best under-17 athlete in three different athletics pursuits.

Her incredible year has encompassed ten gold medals in major Scottish and British championships, and she has been invited to join Scottish Athletics’ national academy for her performances in hurdles and long jump.

Holly travels to Aberdeen twice a week for training, and has journeyed across the UK to achieve her best-ever year in her sport.

But her time on the road hasn’t affected her education after passing all her exams at school.

“I study on the way to Aberdeen sometimes and I get both my work and my training done,” she said.

“My break is two weeks in between the (outdoor and indoor athletics) seasons, and I’ll relax, study and I’ll still do some weights and stuff like that.

“But this year has been so good. I’ve been so happy with my performances.

“I feel like I’m on a constant high.”

At her strongest event of the 80m hurdles, she won the Scottish under-17 title both indoors and outdoors, as well as claiming gold at the UK Schools Games national finals in Loughborough, contested by the top eight ranked athletes in Britain.

Holly also won the hurdles at the SIAB (Schools International Athletics Board) home international in Wales, and silver at the English national championships in Birmingham.

But she doesn’t just run and jump hurdles, she is a combined events champion after taking the Scottish U17 heptathlon crown after mastering hurdles, long and high jump, shot putt and 800 m.

Amongst all of Holly’s achievements in 2024, the best was also one of the most unexpected.

Her long jump leap of 5.91m at the recent Scottish Championships beat her personal best by almost half a metre and put her top of Scotland’s long jump ranks, not just for her age but the overall women’s rankings.

“That is my most improved because I got a massive PB at the nationals. My PB before was 5.50 metres and I got a 5.91 - I was so happy.”

Holly won the Schools Games National Finals hurdles in Loughborough, beating all of the best under-17 athletes in the UK.

In Carmarthen, Wales she repeated her hurdles gold in the Schools home international and a visit to Birmingham for the English nationals saw her secure silver, also in the hurdles.

Back in Scotland at her favourite venue of Grangemouth, Holly has topped the podium on numerous occasions this year.

She is the Scottish under-17 outdoor champion for 80m hurdles, long jump and heptathlon and tops the Scottish ranks for her age group in all three, as well as winning silver in the 300 metres.

In the indoor season she won under-17 60m hurdles, the 4X100m relay and was second in the long jump.

In the Scottish Schools Championships, again at under-17 level she secured three golds in hurdles, long jump and pentathlon, and bronze in the 200m.

As well as being best ranked under-17 in Scotland in three events and best Scottish woman at long jump, she is ranked second in the under-17 UK ranks for 80m hurdles and third in the UK for long jump.

Holly is part of the Grampian Athlete Development Programme, which offers strength and conditioning training, physio and other benefits to athletes from a range of different sports.

And because of her exploits in the hurdles and long jump in 2024, Holly has been asked to join the Scottish Athletics’ governing body’s national academy for athletes.

Already she is setting herself targets for the next 12 months: “This year with the outdoor hurdles I matched the Scottish record but it was too windy so it didn’t count.

“I’d like to get it and beat it, and get the indoor as well if I can.”

And the secret to her success? Holly isn’t sure but puts it down to staying cool under pressure.

“I’m definitely determined. I think the pressure helps me so I do like that.

“Because I’ve been doing this since a young age, I don’t get nerves any more.”