Joanne Fenn
Encyclopedia
Joanne Fenn née
Mersh, (born October 19, 1974 in Leytonstone
, London
) is an English
middle distance runner
.
300m hurdles champion. However, a series of injuries, particularly shin splints
, halted her career. Initially competing in the 400 metre hurdles and heptathlon, Jo took up the 800 metres
with her breakthrough season arriving in 2002. She is a member of the Woodford Green & Essex Ladies athletic club
.
Fenn produced a personal best of 1:59.86 at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
, in Manchester which led to 7th place in the final.
2004 started promisingly for Jo with an 800 m. bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships in Budapest, Hungary
. In the 800 m at the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens, Greece
, where Jo accompanied teammate and eventual gold medal
ist Kelly Holmes
, she progressed through the first round but in the third of three semi-finals found the pace too fast and finished fifth therefore not qualifying for the final.
Having recovered from a serious knee injury and major operation on a grapfruit size cyst in 2006 and a split from her longtime coach Ayo Falola in late 2007, Jo moved to Birmingham to train with Alan Storey with a view to qualifying for her 2nd Olympics.
during her early career and her sister Carla is also a singer in a band.
An album co-written with Judie Tzuke
is planned for autumn 2007 and released on Universal. Jo Fenn went to Mayville Primary School, Leytonstone, which she annually visits on the last day of each school year to award a special Jo Fenn Trophy.
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Mersh, (born October 19, 1974 in Leytonstone
Leytonstone
Leytonstone is an area of east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is a high density suburban area, located seven miles north east of Charing Cross in the ceremonial county of Greater London and the historic county of Essex...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
middle distance runner
Middle distance track event
Middle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...
.
Career
Jo had shown a great deal of promise in her early athletics career having been the English schoolsEducation in England
Education in England is overseen by the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Local authorities take responsibility for implementing policy for public education and state schools at a regional level....
300m hurdles champion. However, a series of injuries, particularly shin splints
Shin splints
Shin splints or medial tibial stress syndrome refers to pain along or just behind the shins with sports that apply extreme pressure to the legs, such as gymnastics...
, halted her career. Initially competing in the 400 metre hurdles and heptathlon, Jo took up the 800 metres
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
with her breakthrough season arriving in 2002. She is a member of the Woodford Green & Essex Ladies athletic club
Sports club
A sports club or sport club, sometimes athletics club or sports association is a club for the purpose of playing one or more sports...
.
Fenn produced a personal best of 1:59.86 at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
, in Manchester which led to 7th place in the final.
2004 started promisingly for Jo with an 800 m. bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships in Budapest, Hungary
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. In the 800 m at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens, Greece
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, where Jo accompanied teammate and eventual gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
ist Kelly Holmes
Kelly Holmes
Dame Kelly Holmes, DBE, MBE is a retired British middle distance athlete. She specialised in the 800 metres and 1500 metres events and won a gold medal for both distances at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens...
, she progressed through the first round but in the third of three semi-finals found the pace too fast and finished fifth therefore not qualifying for the final.
Having recovered from a serious knee injury and major operation on a grapfruit size cyst in 2006 and a split from her longtime coach Ayo Falola in late 2007, Jo moved to Birmingham to train with Alan Storey with a view to qualifying for her 2nd Olympics.
Other interests
Fenn was a singer in a local band, The BusinessThe Business
The Business may refer to:* The Business , a British weekly magazine* The Business , a novel by Iain Banks* The Business , an English punk rock/Oi! band* The Business , a 2005 film directed by Nick Love...
during her early career and her sister Carla is also a singer in a band.
An album co-written with Judie Tzuke
Judie Tzuke
Judie Tzuke is an English singer/songwriter. She is most well known for her 1979 hit "Stay With Me Till Dawn", which reached no.16 on the UK Singles Chart.-Early life:...
is planned for autumn 2007 and released on Universal. Jo Fenn went to Mayville Primary School, Leytonstone, which she annually visits on the last day of each school year to award a special Jo Fenn Trophy.