LEISHA Hunt battled through torrential rain and howling winds to bring a hat-trick of medals home to Essex from the Independent Schools Association National Athletics Championships in Birmingham.

The 13-year-old Gosfield School pupil was competing in the mixed school year eights/nines group and despite being one of the younger athletes as a year eight pupil, she took bronze in the long jump with a leap of 4.54 metres, silver in the 200 metres and bronze as part of the Essex relay team.

Hunt said: "I'm happy with the medals due to the weather and competing against girls a year older than me."