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Tessa Stephenson – Committee Member & Club Coach

Away from running, Tessa works for a firm who deal with the maintenance of the roads in Hertfordshire. Tessa likes to knit, do cross-stitch, read, make cakes and more importantly bread pudding!

Tessa joined the Spartans in 1994 after moving from Hampshire to Stevenage to be with her boyfriend (now husband) Dave. She belonged (and still does) to City of Portsmouth Athletic Club where she was Hampshire County champion for 800m for 4 years consecutively. Tessa wanted to carry on her running and having run 10K’s, 10 Miles and Half Marathons, completed marathons in November 1994, running the Stevenage Marathon, and then the London Marathon in 2000 when she was forty and had been in the sport for 26 years. She has been a regular County Medal winner in Hertfordshire and competes on both track and road.

Having loved the atmosphere at the Spartans, Tessa decided to become a coach in 2000 to help her fellow members. She introduced different types of training including track sessions and the odd track race including relays! She also encouraged members to have a go at doing more cross country races and got mens and ladies teams out in both the Southern Counties and National Cross Country championships for the first time. Tessa along with Katrina Doyle has started the Club’s first ‘Starter Group’ encouraging complete novices to have a go to walk/run on Monday nights. Tessa is also team manager for the women’s track and field team in the Eastern Veteran Athletic Club League in which the ladies won the final at Bedford.

Away from running, Tessa works for a firm who deal with the maintenance of the roads in Hertfordshire.
In her spare time Tessa likes to read and make various puddings.

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