Jackie Newton has been appointed as the Director of Coaching and Athlete Development for Athletics Northern Ireland. She will be taking up this positon on 1st May and Stockport Harriers wish her all the very best with this new role.
Jackie Newton has been an active member of Stockport Harriers & AC since 1977 when she joined the Club after being introduced to cross country running at school. Since then, athletics has been a huge part of her life and she has enjoyed success as an athlete, coach and team manager. All of this experience has now led to her being appointed as Director of Coaching and Athlete Development for Athletics Northern Ireland.
As an athlete, Jackie began her career running cross country and middle- distance track races for the club. She went for a few years in her early twenties to live and work in Australia and, when she came back, she moved to road running where her performances progressed rapidly. She was well-known on the local road running scene and especially for winning the iconic Tour of Tameside three times between 1994 and 1996. She then went on to compete for Great Britain in the marathon and half marathon.
Having retired from serious competition in 2001, Jackie worked through her coaching qualifications and became a level 3 UKA coach and a tutor for coach education. She has also continued training and racing and, although she isn't as serious now, she competed at the World Masters' Athletics Championships in the autumn and came home with a team gold medal from the cross country competition. She is often seen at the Woodbank parkrun and regularly trains with the endurance group that is directed by Paul Stepto and Steve Jones.
Jackie said, "I am delighted to have been selected to take on this role where I will be responsible for supporting and accelerating the progression of athletes and coaches. For the first twelve months, much of my attention will be on preparing the athletes for the 2018 Commonwealth Games as well as making sure the talent is coming through for future years. I have a lot to thank Stockport Harriers for. It was way back in the 70's that I was first inspired by the positive behaviours and methods of the coaches at Stockport Harriers. Of course my dad has also had a massive influence on me. He started coaching when I started running and as well as supporting me 100% with everything that I've done, he has also challenged me when he has seen any sign of de-railing and made me think, assess and plan what I'm doing. I am very much looking forward to using all of these experiences as well as the knowledge that I have gained in my new role."