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The incredibly inspiring group of young people which PGL has chosen to sponsor this year compete in a range of disciplines including fencing, climbing, para sailing and archery. They vary in age from 13 to 18 years old and they come from all over the UK. What they all have in common is passion, determination and drive, as well as a desire to inspire a love of sport in others.

Meet our aspiring sporting superstars

Adam Billany  

Adam Billany loves the fact that when he is sailing no race is ever the same, conditions and boats are constantly changing, however he says what he enjoys most about sailing is ‘how it makes me feel free, I forget about school, my disability and I can compete equally with other disabled and able bodied sailors’. His PE teacher had no hesitation in recommending Adam for sponsorship commenting that his motivation to always achieve his best could be seen in his outstanding GCSE results as well as in his commitment to his sport.

  

Anya Forino is one of our youngest sponsored athletes but despite being only 13 years old, she has been climbing regularly for the last 8 years and is already competing against climbers much older than her. She says ‘It’s not just about having every muscle in your body as strong as possible, it’s also a mental challenge. Routes and boulder problems can be climbed in different ways – the challenge is to work out how YOU can climb it, given your size or your strengths.’ 

  

Bethan Forrow lives close to the Olympic 2012 White Water Centre, which is fortunate since her current training programme includes 9 sessions a week on the water there. Bethan was selected to be part of the legacy programme when British Canoeing visited her school to identify potential young athletes as part of their Talent Identification programme. Out of 1500 children tested, Bethan was one of only 15 selected to go forward and join the programme. 

  

Emily Phillips climbs in three disciplines, Lead, Speed and Boulder. Her coach says ‘never have I seen such determination and drive to be the best in all she does’. Not only does Emily train 6 days a week at the climbing gym, she also has a climbing wall in her bedroom so that she can make use of every spare moment. Emily says ‘I enjoy climbing because it takes me to new places that I may not have been before and gives me the chance to meet other people and share ideas.’

  

Grace Molloy comes from a family of keen orienteers and was going along to orienteering events with her parents before she could walk! She loves the combination of skills required to do well in orienteering ‘you need to be fit and fast but without excellent navigation skills you will not complete the course quickly’. As well as competing herself, she also organises a school team who regularly attend the Scottish Schools Orienteering Championship.

  

Jack Culliford is 13 and one of our youngest sponsored athletes. He was introduced to shotgun shooting by his Grandad who continues to coach and support him in his training. Jack shows maturity beyond his years as he often competes against athletes far older than himself and uses these opportunities to learn from others and develop his own skills.

  

Lizzie Warner has been a member of Archery GB’s academy for the last 3 years, she shoots the recurve bow and like many of our sponsored athletes, Lizzie hopes to be selected for the 2020 Olympic GB team. As well as the competitive aspect of the sport, Lizzie also enjoys having the opportunity to travel to new places and meet people from all over the world. Being sent to Rio for the Olympic games as part of the British Olympic Association’s Ambition Programme was a fantastic experience which has made her all the more determined to succeed.

  

Rafael Rhys Pollitt was inspired to try fencing after watching the London Olympics in 2012, and although only just 14 years old, he is already competing in the U17 category. He enjoys the speed of the fight and says ‘fencing is never easy – I have to be constantly problem solving and making ultra-quick decisions. It pushes me to work hard both physically and mentally’. His hard work is paying off, as he was invited to represent Team England and to train with the Team GB Olympic Squad before Rio 2016.

  

Vawn Humphrey-Wilson was 11 when he stared canoeing with his youth club. He quickly discovered that he loved being on the water and being competitive ‘I enjoy the feeling of getting into a mental state where I can just let go and make decisions to run with the water or against it.’ Vawn also believes that participation in canoeing has helped him become more confident and given him opportunities to travel and meet people that he would otherwise not have had.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tumba Katanda was first introduced to Netball at school and really enjoyed playing as part of a team. She now plays for not only her school team but also for West Bromwich Netball club and the U19 Wasps squad in the Netball Performance League and she is in the U19 West Midland Regional Performance Academy. She is not just a team player on the court but also off, as she is a dedicated umpire and coach, often helping out with the younger teams at school and at her club.

All our new sponsored athletes face not only the challenges of competing and training at a high level but of also combining this with their school or college work. Many travel long distances to train and dedicate their free time to developing their skills and taking part in competitions. In addition, several of them also find time to coach and train others.

We hope that like us you will enjoy following their progress throughout the year. They join our other sponsored athletes Maisie Potter, Jai Geyer and Becky Reed and we are confident that like Maisie, Jai, Becky and other well-known PGL sponsored athlete alumni such as Olympic medallist Joe Clarke, they will help inspire others to try something new and maybe find an activity they love. Keep up to date with news and progress by checking out our dedicated Sponsored Athletes page.

By PGL Travel.