GEMMA Kersey has revealed winning on her England debut has made her even more determined to carve out a career in athletics.

The 19-year-old stormed to victory in the under-20 women’s race at the IAAF cross-country meeting in Burgos, Spain.

And now she has had the taste of international athletics she doesn’t want to look back.

“It was an amazing experience,” said Kersey, who runs for Basildon AC. “Being part of the England team and winning has motivated me even more. It’s made me realise I don’t want to do anything else.”

Kersey was told by coach Eamonn Martin before the race that she had the quality to run away from the field.

But as she was making her first international appearance she was taking a step into the unknown and a bout of illness on the eve of the race didn’t help her mindset.

“I was ill for most of the weekend with a throat infection,” Kersey recalled. “I was really panicking the day before but I took some penicillin and had a good night’s sleep before the race and by the time the race came round I was really pumped.”

Kersey bided her time over the 3.9km, two-lap course, eventually making a decisive break with about 2km to go.

“I was a bit nervous when I went clear because I normally like to tuck in,” Kersey said. “But I just kept pushing on and didn’t look back. It wasn’t really until about 800m to go that I thought ‘you can do this’.

“When I crossed the line I was so tired. I tried to lift my arms in celebration but couldn’t really. It was a special moment.”

The victory puts Kersey in great stead for further international honours.

She has her sights set on a place in the under-20 women’s Great Britain squad heading to the European Cross-Country Championships in Slovenia next month and she will have to run well at the trials in Liverpool next weekend.

“I think I’ve got quite a good chance,” said Kersey who will step up to the senior ranks in the new year when she turns 20. “But there will be a lot of other quality girls looking to win a place in the team so I’m just going to have to see how I feel on the day.”

Kersey’s coach Martin – who had a dual role in Spain as manager of the England senior team and as coach to his young charge – is confident the teenager has a great chance of rounding off her junior career in style.

“She is in good form,” he said. “She’s racing well and training well and her confidence is high. She’s got a great chance.

“She ran brilliantly in Spain. She won by 18 seconds which is quite a lot over a 3.9km course. I told her beforehand she could win it and to do that is great. She was not overawed by the occasion at all. To run your first international and win it is fantastic.”

l Southend AC’s Adam Hickey, who was running in a high-quality senior men’s race in the same meeting in Burgos, was forced to pull out injured three-quarters of his way round the 9.8km course.

Hickey turned his ankle while running in the main group on the first of five laps.

“It just got worse and worse. I started falling back through the field and it was giving me so much aggro that I thought it would be best to stop.

“It swelled up a lot at the time, but fortunately it’s getting better and I hope to be fit for the trials in Liverpool next weekend.”