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Team UK reached the midpoint of the EuroSkills competition with a sigh of relief today.

Some competitors had to undergo hours-long tasks involving stress and time management while others found themselves up against some experienced peers who were involved at WorldSkills Lyon last year.

Going into the final day, Team UK members told FE Week they were pushing through some tiredness to make it to the end but with a dash of positivity.

Grace Longden, 18-year-old health and social care competitor has luckily come to Herning already riding the high of a win.

Longden, who is a triathlete representing Great Britain in the 16-19 age group, won gold in the Asia and Europe triathlon in Istanbul two weeks ago.

“It was a tough race,” she said, adding that the swim in the Bosphorus River was “one of the best swims” she’d ever had.

Coming to Denmark for EuroSkills, the Macclesfield College alumnus said there is “always” the hope of a medal.

“We’re competing against the best in Europe. Everyone is so well trained, so competent,” Longden said.

“Being on the younger age [bracket] of my skill, I have got some tough competition,” she added.

Health and social care competitor Grace Longden

Longden is up against Croatia’s Dino Brkić and Germany’s Anna Telle, both of whom won a Medallion for Excellence at WorldSkills Lyon last year, showing they met the international benchmark.

Nevertheless, Longden has acclimatised to the spectacle of the competition after day 1 and said her second day of tasks went swimmingly.

She said: “Going into the day one, I did feel quite nervous, because there were quite a few crowds about and we had to be microphoned up as well. Going out on stage was quite daunting the first time, but it got easier and easier throughout the day.”

“The second day, I came into a bit more confident. […] I was happier than I was yesterday.”

Today, Longden had to treat a breast cancer patient coming to terms with a diagnosis and teach a stroke patient how to use a walking frame.

“I’m starting university next week in physiotherapy, so that was one of my strengths,” she added.

Longden will be attending Keele University next week after receiving a distinction grade in her T Levels.

Meanwhile, Katie Sime, 20-year-old hairdressing competitor with Reds Hair Company, had to undergo a five-hour task of working on both a men’s and women’s cut and colour.

“It’s a lot of time management, working out what you’re going to do first and then, because obviously, once you’ve then got one colour on, you have to stop what you’re doing to take that off. So it’s a lot to think about.”

“It’s long and quite stressful, but, yeah, I was happy in the end,” she said.

Katie Sime hairdressing competitor

Tomorrow, Sime and her peers are facing live models, which she is a tad nervous about.

“We don’t know what their hair is going to be like until they arrive so that adds a bit of extra stress onto it but hopefully it’ll all be good, and I’ll be happy,” she added.

Sime also had some advice from last year’s Medallion for Excellence winner Charlotte Lloyd to “have a good time and come away with good memories”.

Sime has already come away with a shot of confidence since the new experiences of competing on an international stage, but it has also made her closer to her teammates in Team UK.

“I think at the boot camps, although you spend a lot of time together, it’s only for like, a couple of days, and people just come and go, I think. But I think this week has been really nice, and everyone seems to be getting along really well.”