Lois Stilgoe

Left: 2013

Horse Trainer

Name: Lois Stillgoe

Achievement: Horse Trainer

Year of leaving school: 2013

My proud achievements start from leaving college, I signed up for camp America and with that I jumped on a plane to New York and had the most incredible summer of my life. Teaching American children how to ride western horses, living on a sports camp situated in Pennsylvania. I made lifelong friends and made the best memories and had the best experience. I then travelled around the east coast of America which included partying in Times Square, eating cheese steak sandwiches in Philadelphia, camping in the Great Smokey Mountain and swimming in waterfalls in the Finger Lakes. I could go on all day. 

Once I was home from America I dived straight into work. Working on an event yard full time and in retail in the evenings my days were nonstop and that taught me hard work and determination and once I saw the money flowing in I became obsessed with saving. 

Working 2 jobs, going to the gym religiously also having a very good social life I somehow managed to start taking part in Tough Mudder type events starting with a 15km ‘Major series’ at Bramham Park. Almost every weekend me and my brother would get more and more competitive in beating our times and upping the mileage. It then become a half marathon and before I knew it I’d signed up for a full marathon. After everybody telling me I couldn’t, and wouldn’t do it, I completed the Manchester Marathon in 4 hours 34 minutes which I was incredibly proud of, even just getting to the finish line! The next day I signed up for Yorkshire Marathon and completed that on a cold wet miserable day in October. Shortly after that I received an email saying I’d got through the ballot entry to the world famous London Marathon! One of the most memorable weekends of my life. 

With all of that in mind, my proudest achievement to date has got to be the person I have grown into. I’m incredibly proud of the accomplishments I have achieved but to me, the hard working, happy, loving and caring person I have become has got to be my best success yet. To be genuinely happy and giving 100% in everything you do to me is success. Not having the best job in the world, not earning millions of pounds a year but helping and caring for the people around you, giving your best at everything you do, seeing the positives in every situation and being grateful for the life you live is the most important in my opinion. Try hard in everything you do and the results will show. I want kids to understand that if they give 110% in everything they do, whether it be something major or something small, you will benefit from it. You never know who is watching or what opportunities may arise from it.