A rising star in endurance running, British teenager Innes FitzGerald has declined to represent her nation at a competition in Australia over her “deep concern” about the environmental impact of her associated travel.
Now nicknamed the Greta Thunberg of sport, FitzGerald penned a letter to British Athletics requesting that they look past selecting her for the world cross country championships.
“To have the opportunity to compete for Great Britain in Australia is a privilege. However, it is with great regret that I must decline this opportunity,” she wrote.
In her letter, published by Athletics Weekly, she said: “When I started running, the prospect of me competing in the world cross country championships would have seemed merely a dream. However, the reality of the travel fills me with deep concern.
“I was just nine when the Cop21 Paris climate agreement was signed. Now, eight years on, and global emissions have been steadily increasing, sending us on a path to climate catastrophe.”
She added that the environmental impact of air travel would subsequently damage people’s, “livelihoods, homes and loved ones. The least I can do is voice my solidarity with those suffering on the frontline of climate breakdown.”
It’s a stand that the 16-year-old from Devon has been taking for several months.
Last month, she placed fourth in the under-20 women’s race at the European Cross Country Championships against much older rivals, but made headlines after it emerged she had travelled by train from her home near Exeter in Devon to Turin in Italy because of a reluctance to fly.
Athletics Weekly reported that the young activist took an overnight coach to Lille, before catching a train to Turin via Paris. She and her family also rode folding bikes between stations to keep costs down.
“My family is as environmentally minded as I am. We live in a passive house on a smallholding growing fruit and vegetables. So my dad was happy for us not to fly. Aviation is the most energy intensive activity we can do and explodes a person’s carbon footprint. I don’t want that on my conscience.”
While she emphasised that her decision to decline her spot in the Australian competition had not been an easy one, she said it was no comparison to the “grief I would feel taking the flight”.