Newbury Athletic Club star Izzy is back in blue and red as she turns to old friends on the road to recovery
Newbury Athletic Club’s Izzy Fry has turned to some old friends and familiar faces as she continues her recovery from a serious foot injury.
Fry, who suffered a high grade tear in her plantar fascia – the part of the foot that connects the heel bone to the toes – at the Trafford 10k in March but marked her return to full fitness when she won the Bobby Rea International Cross Country race in Northern Ireland at the weekend.
It’s been a long and challenging road to recovery for the 23-year-old, who has also recently swapped Manchester’s Team New Balance for a new setup at Loughborough University. She missed the entire track season but has been building back up to fitness, beginning with 10-minute runs and culminating in her triumphant return to the cross country scene last week.
As part of her recovery, Fry has been back in the blue and red colours of her hometown club, competing at the South of England Road Relay Championship at Aldershot’s Rushmoor Arena. Teaming up with Josie Robertson, Emma Downie and Laura Buchanan, Fry produced one of the fastest times of the day as she finished third on the opening leg of the race. Newbury AC went on to finish a creditable 26th out of 61 high quality teams, many with international athletes like Fry.
At the weekend, two of Fry’s teammates – Downie and Buchanan – were in action at another south of England relay contest. Alongside Jess Franklin, the team finished an impressive 14th out of 36 teams.
At the same event, the club had two men’s teams representing the town. Matt Green, Bradley Thomas, Bernie Gerrard, Harry Russell, Phil Holloway, Mike Robbins, Pete Jewell and Dave Bennett formed two competitive teams, finishing 16th and 20th from a field of 46.
Meanwhile, Fry is set to race in Cardiff in less than three weeks time before she returns to the international circuit when she lines up at the European Cross Country trials in Liverpool. Now a senior Fry, who was crowned World University Cross Country champion last year, will need to finish in the top six if she is to qualify for the finals, which will be held in Brussels in December.
