Jessica Bray is a secondary school triathlete building her skills, fitness and experience. This is her story.
Two weeks into living in Dunedin and already claimed the Senior Women’s 10,000m track championship title. I only decided to enter this race one week prior, when I first met with the athletics club coach where he exclaimed how I should do it, and with Ray’s approval I signed up along with a 3,000m next weekend.
View More Monday’s with Jessica [Ep 84]: Otago Senior Women’s 10,000m Champion
So much new!
This week has had so much happen, I’ve now completed a whole week and two sets of long weekend training down here in Dunedin. Unfortunately, I have somehow created a streak of falling, where I fell off my bike while not looking ahead and for the correct path going off the curb, and this weekend in my long run rolling my ankle on a drain while grabbing my gel and going shoulder first into the ground, ripping the sides of my new shoes.
I’m currently half a week into my summer school and I already am feeling the load, learning a subject I wasn’t taught properly and to learn so quickly is a lot but I know it’s worth the bulk learning in the long run when it’s time to complete the paper in a few months time.
View More Monday’s with Jessica [Ep 82]: Summer School
My trip is underway, with the first of four days of travel done I have officially moved out of home, finished my job, and started Uni in less than one week. The changes are daunting but they are now bound to occur, I have organised and planned this week for months leading up to it, hoping that all sails smoothly.
View More Monday’s with Jessica [Ep 81]: Moving to Dunedin
There are currently 7 days until my life begins its journey of change. Even so these last 7 days are filled with everything plus more. But with…
View More Monday’s with Jessica [Ep 80]: New for 2025
One week into 2025 and another year to work towards my large goals with a lot of new changes, at the end of 2024 I was lucky enough to get to opportunity to compete in a volleyball tournament on the Gold Coast of Australia, held immediately after my Nationals in Timaru.
View More Monday’s with Jessica [Ep 79]: Volleyball in Australia
Where do I even begin with this race, finishing off my running as a secondary school student, this was the bang I needed, following my PB two days prior on the track I had recovered, refueled, rested and focused onto this event being the one I have competed in for the many years prior with the hopes to continue improving in the years like this one.
View More Monday’s with Jessica [Ep 78]: Road Race Success
The 3,000m track race was my first of the two events I competed in at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Athletics and Road Race Championships this year in Timaru. We travelled down on the Thursday morning to allow lots of time to get used to the environment and settle into where I will be staying for the week. I got the chance to get a shake out run in and a few warm up laps on the track to shake the nerves.
View More Monday’s with Jessica [Ep 77]: 3,000m Track Race
This past weekend has been a dream come true and a milestone to prove that all the hard work I’ve been putting in for the past 10 months especially. Everyday with not one training missed, in the rain, wind, heat, freezing temperatures, early rises and double training days to fit it all in. Every single sacrifice is showing to be worth it.
View More Monday’s with Jessica [Ep 76]: Lead Up To National Secondary School Athletic Champs
This week was a hurdle of a week, being the week before my nationals race I woke up Monday morning feeling more sick than I have in years. Somehow I pushed through working all morning but as soon as I got home I was bound to my bed and unable to walk without falling dizzy and nauseous. Even when I thought I was feeling slightly better I vomited four times for the first time in years securing the fact I wasn’t just feeling sick but had caught some sort of virus or food poisoning.
View More Monday’s with Jessica [Ep 75]: Illness