The World Orienteering Championships are coming to Edinburgh this year. This high-profile, 6-day event will see 330 athletes from 40 countries compete in sprint races across the city. Among these athletes are Grace and Peter Molloy, both ESMS FPs, who have been selected to represent Great Britain.
The ESMS connection to this prestigious event does not end there. Mrs Rona Molloy, the Head of Modern Studies at MES, is a renowned athlete herself. She was recently named the fastest woman in the Mountain Bike Orienteering W50 category of the British Long Distance Championships, following her victory in the W50 British Championships for Orienteering on foot in 2023. Alongside her husband, Mr Jonathan Molloy (former ESMS Bursar), they have played key roles in the Lead Organising Team for the event, collaborating with Edinburgh University’s Pollock Halls to welcome teams, prepare their Accreditations, and organize the Athletes’ Party closing the event.
ESMS Orienteering Club
Orienteering is a unique sport where physical speed and fitness levels are not the only deciding factors in one’s success. As Mrs Molloy points out: “There’s a bit of numeracy involved, as well as Geography and all the teamwork that comes with it. It’s also confidence-building.(...)
We find there's often young people who haven't yet found their ‘thing’ - their sport or their activity - that really enjoy Orienteering. That's a real connection for us, a real joy when we find that.”
For the past four years, the Molloys have been channelling their love of Orienteering through the ESMS Orienteering Club, which has been steadily growing in numbers. In June, over 40 students participated in the Scottish Schools Orienteering Festival. During the 2023/24 session, the club also organised their own competition in the grounds of The Mary Erskine School, handling every aspect of the event. Collaborating with the Edinburgh Southern Orienteering Club gave them invaluable experience of both hosting and competing in a sports event.
Outdoor Learning Benefits
Many students first encounter Orienteering at Carbisdale, our flagship eight-day unplugged adventure for S3s in the Scottish Highlands. Orienteering is the only competitive activity there, and new members singing up to the ESMS Orienteering Club often do so because of the experience. Mrs Molloy notes, “It’s a real joy for us when we see people turning up to Club who we first met at Carbisdale. We find that everybody can access it at a level that suits them, and often they discover a competitive instinct during the course of the morning or the afternoon.”
The outdoor aspect of Orienteering is another unique part of the sport, and one of the reasons it’s become a staple part of Carbisdale. Mrs Molloy highlights the benefits of navigating the outdoors: "Being able to realize that you don’t have to be on a path all the time is part of the beauty. I always encourage students to get off the path and just go through the woods. That, for me, is one of the most liberating things about Orienteering.”
An Inclusive, Family-Friendly Activity
Orienteering is also one of the few sporting activities that students can enjoy with their parents and siblings. Mr. Molloy notes, “That's when you know you're onto a real winner, when you've got the parents, and even the siblings, coming along as well. And I think that's what is so great about orienteering as a sport, everyone can take part.”
Mrs. Molloy adds, “There are not many other school activities where we would say to parents, why don't you have a go as well?”
Whether at competitive level, like the World Orienteering Championships, or through local school events, Orienteering offers a unique blend of physical and mental challenges suitable for all ages and skill levels. As our students and their families have discovered, it's a sport that encourages exploration, teamwork, and builds confidence.
World Orienteering Championships take place 12-16 July across Edinburgh, including Princes Street Gardens, Leith and Heriot-Watt University. See www.woc2024.org for more information, and consider joining the Orienteering Club activities next session!
