This week, Queenswood Sport is celebrating a genuinely historic milestone, with confirmation that three former pupils have been selected to represent Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics.

Hannah Williams: British 200m Champion

Sisters Jodie and Hannah Williams will be competing together in the 4 x 400m relay, while rower Rowan McKellar will be part of the women’s four. Jodie has also been selected for the 400m.

Jodie Williams: Bronze medal winner in the 400m at the European Indoor Championships in March

It’s the culmination of an astonishing year of success for these local athletes. Jodie is currently the British Champion at both 200m and 400m – the first woman to hold both titles simultaneously in 16 years. She took the 200m crown from Hannah, who was the 2020 British Champion. And Rowan has been making waves since her senior debut in the 2017 season. In 2018 she claimed World Cup silver in the women’s eight. She was selected in the eight for the 2019 season and has won European silver and World Cup bronze.

Rowan McKellar: World Cup silver medallist

Given their tremendous success on the world stage, it is heartwarming that they still find time to give back to the Queenswood community and beyond. During lockdown, Rowan presented the school’s online Sports Personality Awards, giving a fascinating insight into her career story.

Meanwhile, Hannah created a set of online workout videos for children in Years 4, 5 and 6, and even motivated them to create their own routines.

Director of Sport Jo Wakeley is absolutely thrilled by this triple success story. ‘Jodie, Hannah and Rowan are amazing, inspirational, talented young women, and great role models for Queenswood Sports Scholars. They have great ability, but it’s their inner drive and resilience that have seen them through. When we interview promising young athletes, every one of them has an ambition to represent GB at the Olympics. So to have three former pupils heading to Tokyo is just a dream come true.’