LAST week the headline news coming out of Liverpool was extremely depressing, following the horrific shooting of a young sports-mad boy. However, at the weekend I had the privilege to come across Katarina Thompson, a young Merseyside girl who, by her actions, displayed the true and positive image of Liverpool youth. At Hull’s Costello Stadium, a team of athletes were representing the North East in the North of England Inter-Counties Championships, and competing in the under-15 high jump event was Kimberley Marriott of Gateshead Harriers. Such was Kimberley’s enthusiasm to pick up her first county vest, she had travelled to Hull only as a member of the relay squad, but when it became apparent that the team didn’t have a high jumper she volunteered immediately, despite having never been in a high jump competition before. While her fellow competitors were warming up at heights way above her expectations, Kimberley asked the officials if she could come into the competition with the bar at one metre five centimetres. She managed to clear that height without too much difficulty, but when the bar was raised a further 10 centimetres her problems began to surface. Despite being extremely tense with her 11 rivals waiting and watching patiently, Kimberley did her utmost but was unable to conquer her nerves and pulled out on her approach run. Following several more attempts, each with the same outcome, a tearful Kimberly finally decided to withdraw from the competition, and looked for a quiet place to escape from the view of the spectators. However, within seconds of pulling out of the event, Liverpool Harrier Katarina Thompson, was on hand to put an arm round Kimberley’s shoulder and give her comfort and support. Katarina, over a foot taller than Kimberley, is the English Schools’ high jump champion and was concentrating on winning another competition, but that didn’t deter her from going across to comfort and console her younger rival, and provide her with much-needed sympathy. “I felt all alone, but when Katarina, who I had never met before although I knew who she was, came over and talked to me I felt much better,” said Kimberley. “She asked me if I had high jumped before, and when I told her I hadn’t she said that I did well and not to worry. “She said lots of nice things which pleased me, and I’m happy she went on to win the competition.” Kimberley quickly recovered from her ordeal, and within an hour had volunteered her services once again to take her place in the 80m hurdles, yet another event she hadn’t encountered before. This time it all ended in smiles as she crossed the line without any mishaps, and paved the way for her place in one of the final events of the day – the relay – which, in fact, was the reason she was there in the first place! | 
