March / April 2010British Gas Swimming Championships 2010, venue Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Sheffield. It was a long course event. Qualifying times were really hard. Which meant only the best qualified, like:-
I qualified for 7 events They were MD (multi disability) events which meant I was up against swimmers of all ages, and all disabilities. Here are my results
British Gas Championships 2010 (Long Course) – 29th March to 3rd April
MD (Multi Disability) events up against all disabilities
You will never believe this. I have been selected to be a first batch Prefect at Millfield School it is a very high honour, Millfield normally only offer first batch positions to existing Millfield pupils that have been there for a number of years. I am so excited I hope I live up to their expectations.
Here I am with one of my best friends, Gwen. You can just make out my Prefect brooch.
DSE (Disability Sports Events) Short Course Junior Nationals venue Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Sheffield. It was a short course event with two age groups 10 to 13 and 14 to 18. I fell in the 14 to 18 age group which was probably the hardest age group, most of the other competitors where Paralympic Medallists. I qualified for all the events on offer to my swimming classification, which is S9 SB8 SM9 but decided only to enter the events available to the Paralympics in 2012, which were 7 events.
Here are my results
DSE (Disability Sports Events) Short Course Junior Nationals – 6th & 7th March 2010
Here I am with my Millfield Swimming Coaches left to right Edward Sinclair, Jolyon Finck, me & Emma Collings shortly after I broke the S9 Long Course 1500m Freestyle British Record (subject to ratification) at Exeter City Long Course Open (Able Bodied) Meet which was held at Millfield School in Somerset.
Here are my results
Exeter City Long Course Open Meet 22nd to 24th January 2010
(subject to ratification) 1500m Freestyle S9BRITISH RECORD
December 2009End of my first full term at Millfield I’ve had my ups and downs but overall it has been a great experience. Anyway packed up my room at Millfield and headed to Wales for the Welsh Disability Long Course Swimming Championships in Swansea. Sad to say it was the last time ever wearing the Speedo LZR full body,
It was a relaxing meet for me no pressure to make any times just had to swim and wind down. I think it was a nice way to end a very busy year.
Here are my results:-
Welsh Long Course Championships 12th & 13th December 2009
November 21st & 22ndI qualified and entered 7 Individual & 2 Team Relay events at the DSE’s (Disability Sport Events) National Short Course Championships at Ponds Forge in Sheffield. I had a reasonably good meet, it was not fantastic. I have been working on my strokes. Lets edit that, changing my strokes, everything I do now is so different. Technique, Gym, Nutrition, Studying everything. So my swimming coach Emma Collings and I were not expecting miracles. I did manage to get a few Medals and PB’s (Personal Bests)
Here are my results:-
DSE Senior Open SC National’s – 21st & 22nd November 2009
♥ Jo-Jo was invited to Garons Sports & Tennis Centre in Southend-on-Sea Essex, to give a motivational talk to some gifted & talented children, run by Southend Sports Patnership.
Thursday 22ndOctober I attended the 2009 Rochford District Sports Awards with Dean Macey, I was nominated for two separate categories Young Sports Personality of the Year and Disability Sports Personality of the Year. I did’nt win, but I was nominated with distinction. ♥
Monday 7th September 2009 was my first day at Millfield Schoolin Somerset. It was o.k. a little nerve racking but all went well and I have chosen my A Level subjects – Psychology – Physical Education & Philosophy.
Hope I chose well because I will be studying them for the next two years.
The ASAhave also invited me as an elite athlete to study for“AASE” Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence fantastic I hear you say, but 3 “A” levels and a Coaching Degree with all my Swimming, Land & Gym Training it will be tough going.
But I am sure I will be able to manage ~~~ ~~~
Made my room look a bit like home
Cool! First weekend at Millfield and I am away to Skern Lodge Activity Centrein Bideford, Devon for a Swimming Team Bonding weekend. Sorry forgot to take a camera.
It’s only been a couple of weeks and I am missing home like crazy. I miss Rochford Swimming Club and my home coach Doug Drake with their 25m pool, my friends at home & RADS. Most of all I miss my best friend Bruce.
Never mind I keep telling myself I will be home at half term, so no time to be down, lots of studying and training to do. It is so different training in a 50m pool. Meeting new friends from all around the world, and trying to get to class on time in high heels is a Gym workout all of its own. I have got to have more self control, food here at Millfield is fantastic cream cakes as and when you want them is not always a good thing.
Talk about throwing you in at the deep end. Millfield entered me in for the Somerset Development Meet in Hutton Moor, Weston-Super-Mare. I swam o.k. It was an able body swimming meet and not all of Millfield’s Swimming Team had met me so some were a little surprised to see I only had one arm.
I was Selected to compete for East of England in this years UK School Games in Wales at the National Pool Swansea. For 100m Butterfly and 100m Freestyle. It was my fourth and last UK Games because you have to be sixteen and under to compete. On the 5th September I competed and came 2ndwith a Silver Medal for 100m Butterfly and 4th for 100m Freestyle. Not bad when you think my mind was on starting Millfield on the 6th September.
27th of August OfficialGCSE exam results day!A* Distinction OCR Level 2 National Certificate in Sport
Units: -
A DistinctionHealth, safety and prevention of injury in sport.
A Distinction The body in action.
A Distinction Sport skills.
A Distinction The sporting environment.
A Distinction Effective sports leadership.
A Distinction Social issues in sport.
B Science
B Mathematics
B Statistics
B Religious studies
BEnglish
BEnglish Literature
C Home economics: food and nutrition
C Additional Science
Level 2Preparation for working life
Level 1JFO Football Coaching Qualification
With the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games edging ever closer, 100 looked after children were given a taste of the Olympic Games at Essex County Council’s Danbury Outdoor Education Centre this week.
The children, a mix of able-bodied, physically disabled and learning disabled youngsters, were all at the Centre as part of the a five-day summer camp for children looked after by Essex County Council.
The group were delighted by the visit of Jo-Jo Cranfield, a Team GB disabled swimmer, who told them first hand about her hopes for competing in the Paralympic Games in 2012 and how sport has helped her to overcome adversity in her own life. She appealed to the young people in the group to take inspiration from her story and to achieve their own ambitions and dreams.
The children were then given the opportunity to take part in a range of Olympic and Paralympic sports including sitting volleyball, table tennis, rhythmic gymnastics, zone hockey and track and field events.
County Councillor Colin Riley, Chairman of the Corporate Parenting Panel said: “This has been a fantastic week for the youngsters involved, giving them the opportunity to enjoy sports and activities they wouldn’t have otherwise have had the opportunity to try.”
County Councillor Stephen Castle, Cabinet Member for Education and the 2012 Games added: “Whether they aspire to be a future Olympic or Paralympic Champion or not, we hope this event has shown the young people involved the positive impact that sport and active lifestyles can have upon their lives.”
This report can be found on the >>>Essex Legacy<<< website
August 10th Not long now until I leave home and start a new chapter in my life at Millfield, I am feeling very excited. Picked up my trunks today from Steve owner of Logicline Trunks Ltdin Barling, Essex. All systems go, Pack! Pack! Pack!
July 28th Start of the National Youth Championships, venue Ponds Forge in Sheffield. I qualified for 7 events which would have been over 6 days but due to the expense of hotels I entered only 5. They were MD (multi disability) events which means I was up against swimmers of all ages, and all disabilities. Here are my results:-
“JoJo is a inspirational, highly motivated & dedicated athlete, who is always striving to improve herself. She has an outgoing and friendly personality, but has an inner belief and determination that will take her to the top. JoJo works hard in every session and challenges me to ensure that I provide the best training programme and environment for her to succeed.”
Tony Sephton
Head of Performance Hertfordshire University
Strength & Conditioning Coach EIS East Region
July 19th Up the road from where I live is a little antique shop. It is a very nice shop and the lady that owns it has got a lovely scottie dog called Milly. The lady thought it was cruel to keep Milly in her small shop and was trying to find a home for her. My mum thought we could have her. So she brought her home. Bathed her and cleaned her up. Boy what a mistake my dog Bruce who is almost 14 and on lots of medication, because he is old with heart problems, thought all his christmas’s had come at once. He would not leave her alone. All he wanted to do is play I reckon if we had kept her it would have killed him off and we don’t want that,do we! He is my best friend. So we sadly we gave Milly back.
July 16th I was invited to Belfairs High School celebration assembly. I had a fab evening, but in a way it was sad saying goodbye to some of my friends and teachers, you see it was my last ever school assembly at Belfairs, boo hoo, but on the other hand, pardon the pun he he he, I was awarded Leigh-on-Sea Town Council’s Endeavour Award.
Director Steve Turner and his fellow stylists at Lee Staffords Salonin Leigh-on-Sea, My brother James Cranfield from Niche also in Leigh-on-Sea, Sam Jones and Jenny Hixon from Westborough Primary School in Westcliff and everyone else who took part in this years Moonlight Colourthon. There were over 1,300 entrants and together they raised over £138,000 for 236 different charities.. FANTASTIC!
Here are my results 
“JoJo is a inspirational, highly motivated & dedicated athlete, who is always striving to improve herself. She has an outgoing and friendly personality, but has an inner belief and determination that will take her to the top. JoJo works hard in every session and challenges me to ensure that I provide the best training programme and environment for her to succeed.”
saying goodbye to some of my friends and teachers, you see it was my last ever school assembly at Belfairs, boo hoo, but on the other hand, pardon the pun he he he, I was awarded Leigh-on-Sea Town Council’s Endeavour Award.
