A student from Taunton was the first girl to finish the Ten Tors Challenge on Sunday 11th May 2025 out of 2,400 people.
Josie, a Year 10 student at Taunton School, became the first girl to cross the finish line after completing the 35-mile hike with her school teammates. Josie’s team was the fourth team to finish the challenge, only 16 minutes after the first team.
This marks the second time in three years that the first female finisher has come from Taunton School.
Taunton School entered 21 of its students to take on the challenge this year, with four teams taking part across the 35, 45, and 55-mile categories. Its 55-mile team partnered with Millfield School to make up a team of six.
Josie said of her achievement: “The Ten Tors was the best experience of my whole life so far and the hardest thing I have ever done. The team finishing so early on the Sunday was such an amazing experience, it was incredible.
“When you are walking in the middle of nowhere, you need an amazing group of people around you to stay happy, to stay positive and stay focused and we all did that really well over the weekend. What makes this more special is that you have to train over months to be able to compete. We had excellent training and fantastic support from the School Outdoor Education team which prepared us for the challenge.
“I couldn’t have done this without my team. It was only by being together that we were able to achieve such a brilliant result.”
Taunton School’s students began training in January and have since completed a range of training activities, weekends and events. The members of its 55-mile team have now completed this training for a third time following their 35 and 45-mile challenges in previous years, with Year 13 student Lizzy having undertaken four rounds of training over the years as she has previously completed the 45-mile category twice.
Chris Pearson, Head of Outdoor Education at Taunton School, said: “There is no other event in the School calendar quite like the Ten Tors. It is an absolute test of endurance in the face of adversity and pain that can only be achieved through entrenched teamwork and personal courage.
“We are incredibly proud of every student that took part in the event; it is a great testament to their individual and collective will. All students develop on their own journeys through training in the dark and cold of January to the fleeting moments of spring sunshine.”
Organised by the Army, the Ten Tors Challenge is now in its 63rd year and sees young people head to Dartmoor each May to navigate tricky set routes over a weekend period.
Taunton School offers an extensive outdoor education provision including one of the largest combined cadet forces in the South West, regular field trips to the nearby Quantocks, Exmoor and Blackdown Hills, and the Duke of Edinburgh scheme which 220 students have completed in the last two years alone, with twelve students being invited to Buckingham Palace last week to celebrate their Gold certifications. Visit https://www.tauntonschool.co.uk/explore/co-curricular/outdoor-ed-ccf/ to find out more.
Categories: School News Taunton School
