Brescia House junior orienteer finds a winning formula
A passion for running and map work powered Zalah David, from Brescia House School, to overall victory in the juniors category the 2026 Orienteering Schools League.
At an age where many athletes are still exploring their strengths, Zalah David has already found hers, combining speed, focus, and sharp navigation skills to rise to the top of school-level orienteering.
The 15-year-old from Brescia House School enjoyed a successful 2026 season, culminating in her being crowned overall winner in the junior girls category, and being awarded a trophy at the 2026 Orienteering Schools League (OSL) held from February 2 through to March 9.
Read more: Brescia House orienteer claims senior girls title at the 2026 Orienteering Schools League
The league was held in different venues across the city, including HeronBridge College, Helpmekaar Kollege, Delta Park, St John’s College, and Alberts Farm.
Orienteering is often described as a combination of running and problem-solving. Athletes navigate their way through parks and natural terrain using a detailed map, locating checkpoints in the correct order while choosing the most efficient route. “I started orienteering because I love running and map work (geography).
Putting the two together is awesome. Abi Hughes, this year’s orienteering captain, also encouraged me to give it a try last year, and I am so happy that I did.”
Commenting on her win, Zalah said: “It felt amazing. I was so proud of myself and excited to have won.”
Her achievement also contributed to Brescia’s overall league victory, marking a historic and successful season for the school.
Rather than relying purely on pace, Zalah said her approach to planning the route is to try to look ahead and plan a route between control points that are faster and less complicated to run. ”The reserves and parks are exciting to run in, and give you a proper trail run experience, but there is no sport without its challenge, and my biggest challenge in orienteering is when I’m trying to cover the route with speed and I lose focus, which can lead to you missing or battling to find a control point.
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“To stay calm and focused when I’m under pressure, I take things one thing at a time, and slow it down if I have to, to get a faster time in the end.”
Beyond medals, orienteering has helped Zalah grow personally. “I have developed better navigation skills, especially on maps, and I’ve learned how to keep calm and collected under pressure situations.
”My Brescia teammates have made this experience even better. The girls in this team are amazing, and I have made many friends. The whole team is supportive of everyone else. Our coaches [Tania Winberly and Garry Morrison] have helped to create this environment and are knowledgeable and supportive of us as a team.”
As one of the sport’s rising young athletes, Zalah hopes to inspire her peers to give orienteering a chance. ”If I were to give advice to junior learners about orienteering, I would tell them to try it, because it could be a sport that they love and even excel in. Tell them to take it slowly and to never be hard on themselves if it doesn’t go well.”
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