Pam’s medal haul after long haul trip

Apr 28 2010 by Paul Thomson, East Kilbride News

PAMELA Clark ensured her 76-hour round trip for the European Trampoline Championships was worthwhile as she picked up two bronze medals.

In last week’s News, we told how the 13-year-old from St Leonards saw her preparations for the event thrown into chaos after the volcanic ash cloud forced her to alter travel plans.

With Europe’s air space closed, Pamela and the British team were forced to make a 36-hour, 2000 mile journey from Liverpool to Varna in Bulgaria by coach to make the showpiece event.

And after making it there safely, Pamela put in an outstanding performance to take bronze in the junior individual and junior team categories.

Her dad, Robert, was delighted for her and was even happier to see her return home on the coach last night (Tuesday).

He said: “Pamela returned to the UK on Monday and the team stayed overnight at Heathrow before Pamela flew back to Glasgow last night. She thoroughly enjoyed the trip and she’s got plenty of pictures from the journey, but she’s not sure where some of the pictures were taken as they drove through so many countries on the way to Bulgaria.

“But she’s really happy with her medals. She was lying fourth going into the final of the individual event so she was pleased to move up a place in the final round. She was beaten by a Russian and a Belarussian to the other medals but she was the only British trampolinist in the whole squad to win an individual award so she’s delighted with that.”

For Pamela the medal was her first-ever at the Europeans after she picked up silver at the World Championships in Russia last year and Robert said the contentious decision to include Pamela in the British squad paid off.

He added: “A few people down south questioned her inclusion in the squad because she didn’t make the qualifying mark. They wanted to send another girl but they had to be convinced that Pamela can pull off a big performance at the big events and she proved all the doubters wrong.”