Culinary Arts Lecturer to take part in World Masters Athletics Championship 2024

A Senior Lecturer in Culinary Arts from WestKing swaps chef’s whites for an athletics kit to compete in the World Masters Athletics Championship 2024 in Gothenburg.

Ashley Spencer, a Senior Lecturer at Westminster Kingsway College’s (WestKing) School of Culinary Arts and Hospitality, will compete in the World Masters Athletics Championship 2024 later this year. The World Masters Athletics Championships, which is due to take place between 13 August and 25 August, will welcome athletes from across the world to Gothenburg in Sweden. 

World Masters Athletics promotes premier athletics events for athletes of all abilities aged 35 and over and has no upper age limit. The organisation encourages camaraderie amongst competitors as well as healthy competition and embraces participants to celebrate their achievements.

Ashley, who is a Senior Lecturer in Bakery and Pastry and Culinary Arts, will compete in throwing events in the M50 category against other male competitors aged between 50 and 54. He will take part in the shot put, discus, hammer and heavy short hammer competitions followed by the throws pentathlon event which features the previous disciplines and the javelin. 

Ashley was inspired to enter The World Masters Championships after becoming an athletics coach himself. He started coaching to encourage his daughter in athletics and was soon coaching groups of young athletes. He now coaches Year 6 and Year 7 athletes for Bracknell Athletic Club as well as several older throw competitors.

His journey to competitive athletics came about by accident when he stepped in during a competition for a local team because their male throwers were unavailable. He won every event he entered and his enthusiasm for throwing grew from there. 

Ashley enjoys the challenge of building on his skills in his chosen sports. He said: “Even at my age, I am still learning and developing. I love the technique and the skill involved. Everyone thinks ‘Oh it’s just a throw’ but it’s a lot more than that when you get the technique right.”

He also said: “The main inspiration for competing at the worlds are the kids I coach. I see them compete and, whether they come first or last, I tell them it doesn’t matter –  but did they better their PB? The answer is usually ‘Yes!’.

In order to prepare for the competition, Ashley currently trains five times a week, spending hours on strength training and perfecting his technique for each discipline. Competing at the World Masters Athletics Championships is a significant personal endeavour that Ashley has been working towards for a number of years. Ashley suffers from Osteoarthritis, so training for and competing in these championships requires dedication, physical discipline and perseverance. 

Ashley is looking forward to attending the World Masters Athletics Championships in Gothenburg. He said: “I am told the atmosphere is amazing – there is an opening ceremony and I might be carrying the flag.” To help cover his transportation and accommodation costs for the event, Ashley has started a crowdfunding project.

We wish you all the best at the World Masters Athletics Championships 2024!

Are you interested in athletics? Join the Athletics Academy! The academy provides free training, professional coaching and a variety of expertly tailored programmes for students aged 16-19 who are enrolled on a full-time course at one of our colleges. 

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