Brescia House matriculant runs and shoots to Protea colours

For most Grade 12 learners, balancing academics and extracurricular activities can be demanding.

For Brescia House School matriculant Isla Thomas, however, excelling in both the classroom and on the international sporting stage has become a way of life. The 18-year-old recently earned her junior Protea blazer for laser run after representing South Africa at the 2025 Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) Laser Run World Championships held in December last year.

Laser run is a fast-paced multisport event that combines laser pistol shooting and running. Isla’s achievement marked the culmination of nearly a decade of hard work, discipline, and perseverance in a sport she first discovered when she was nine years old. “I started laser run when I was nine. At the time I was participating in an event called Biathle, which is a run/swim event. After one of the league events I saw some of my fellow competitors practicing their shooting and I was instantly intrigued. From there, I learnt how to use the laser pistol and soon after I entered my first laser run.”

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She added that it was incredible to have championships on home ground. “I felt so proud to be able to compete in front of friends, family, and other familiar faces.”

One of the defining moments of Isla’s journey came during last year’s laser run nationals, where she achieved the qualifying time needed for her junior Protea colours. “Throughout my race at last year’s laser run nationals, the only thing on my mind was achieving the time to obtain my junior Protea colours.

“Before the final lap of my race I had seen there was only about two minutes left for me to achieve this time. When I crossed the finish line I was convinced I hadn’t made it, but when my dad told me I was wrong, and that I had in fact made it, I was thrilled.”

She added that the moment she received the email saying she had achieved her junior Protea colours for laser run felt like all her hard work and dedication had become physical, and there was now something to show for it. “For me the run is the most difficult part of laser run. It is very physically demanding and requires me to pace myself very strategically in order to perform ideally. This is something that I often struggle to get right, but the support from my coaches at my running club, Fitness from Africa, has definitely had the biggest influence on me throughout my sporting journey. Their constant support and understanding nature is what has inspired me to continue moving forward and to never give up.”

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She added that the international competitions have taught her that without discipline, resilience, and consistency, the end goal will be very difficult to achieve. “Balancing matric and sport has been a challenge this year, but I’ve learnt that time management is the most important thing. Sometimes it is necessary to compromise sport for school, or vice versa, dependent on upcoming competitions or exams.”

Looking ahead, Isla has ambitious plans for both academics and sport. She hopes to matriculate from Brescia with eight distinctions before attending the University of Pretoria to study chemical engineering, while athletically, she plans to continue competing internationally, and use her laser run training to assist into her training for a modern pentathlon.

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