The brothers, from Kinross, said they were thrilled to get the chance to represent Great Britain again on the international stage, having last competed for Team GB before Covid.
Blake, 18, said, “I’m overjoyed to make the team, it’s always a pleasure to compete with national kit on.”
Jacob, 13, added, “Getting to compete with the GB team is a great experience. After everything we’ve all gone through over the last three years, I’m excited to see where we stack up internationally.”
The talented pair are active athletes with in the sports of Modern Pentathlon, Tetrathlon and Laser-Run.
Laser run, the final event in Modern Pentathlon, is a growing sport of its own, requiring athletes to run set distances then lower their heart rate to shoot accurately with a laser pistol.
Jacob recently won Silver at the U15 Tetrathlon Championships in Bath and Blake placed 4th in the U19 Pentathlon Championships.
The brothers said fell into Pentathlon by accident, having started their sporting careers on horseback, but with equestrian removed from Modern Pentathlon in November 2021 and the recent lockdown’s the Perthshire pupils had to put most of their training for Pentathlon on hold, apart from running.
Blake said, “With the fencing halls and swimming pools closed and horse riding voted out of the sport after Tokyo, we ran as much as we could and our hard work is starting to pay off. We are going into this season in the best running and shooting shape we could be.
“I love laser run because in pentathlon not everyone is even throughout the race but the laser run finale gives all competitors the opportunity for a last-minute win.
Speaking of their sibling rivalry, Jacob said having his older brother Blake by his side was a huge inspiration.
“Being brothers and being in the same boarding house at school, pushes us to be better. It adds that extra level of fun because you know no matter what happens you want to beat each other’s times but we also have each other’s backs. With Blake being older it's great to see what I might be able to achieve and know what he’s been through to get there.”
Blake added, “Watching Jacob compete is one of the best things about our sports. I can’t wait to see what we can achieve in August.”
The Hedley brothers head out to the European Laser-Run Championships in Athens, Greece in August, with the World Laser-Run Championships being held in Madeira, Portugal in October 2022. Whilst in Greece, Blake will also compete in the Triathle (swim, run and laser) and Jacob will compete in the Biathle (swim and run).
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