Cash will help Erewash's emerging sports stars to shine
Six of Erewash’s emerging sports stars have received bursaries from the Derbyshire Talented Athlete Fund.
Basketball players Louise Bradley and Ben Morley, golfer Nick Newbold, jet-skier Anya Colley and swimmers Ann Morris and Olivia Sefton have each received £300, which they will use to help further their sporting careers, contributing towards meeting training costs such as coaching fees, travel and equipment.
Louise, Ben, Nick and Ann were presented with their cheques at Long Eaton Town Hall on Thursday, April 17.
Councillor Michael Wallis, Erewash Borough Council Lead Member for Culture co-presented the cheques, along with Robert Harrison, Co-ordinator level 2 Sport at Derby College.
Both Erewash Borough Council and Derby College are among the contributors to the Derbyshire Talented Athlete Fund.
In addition, South Derbyshire District Council, Derbyshire County Council, North East Derbyshire District Council, Amber Valley Borough Council, Derby City Council, High Peak Borough Council, Chesterfield Borough Council, Bolsover District Council, and Derbyshire Dales District Council have contributed.
Other funders are: East Midlands Airport, the University of Derby, Rolls-Royce, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Lorson International, Spirita, Fairgrove Group, East Midlands Development Agency, the Electrical Contractors Association, Derbyshire County Cricket Club and Derbyshire Building Society.
About the athletes:
Louise Bradley (Basketball)
Louise Bradley, (15), from Ilkeston, is currently the only Derbyshire girl in an England squad at any age group. She is a member of the Ilkeston Outlaws U18 team, and also plays in the National Basketball League for the Nottingham Wildcats U16 team. She has been chosen to train in the England Development Squad for under 16 girls. Her National team Nottingham Wildcats under 16 girls finished 1st in National League and got to 2nd round playoffs just missing a place at the RAF Final Fours. Her local league team Ilkeston Outlaws under 18 girls achieved 3rd place in the Maid Marion League.
Ben Morley (Basketball)
15-year-old Ben Morley from Ilkeston is currently the only boy in his age group representing Derbyshire in the England squad. His achievements to date include being selected for the East Midlands regional squad 2005 to represent the region at the Lilleshall National tournament, and from this tournament being selected for the first draft of the England squad. He was included in the England squad training programme for all of 2006 and 2007. In December Ben played for England in a tournament at Barking Abbey, scoring in all the games. Ben's team has also made it to the semi-finals of the Sherwood league, and the semi-final will be played on Friday at Jesse Boot Wildcats Arena.
Nick Newbold (Golf)
15-year-old Nick Newbold is from Sandiacre. During the past year he has competed on the national stage, finishing 27th in the Douglas Johns Trophy, and 18th in the EGU Reid Trophy.
At regional level he has been unbeaten in all U14 matches that Derbyshire have played against other Midlands counties. His main achievement last year was to get a place on the England Squad coaching for U16’s. Nick’s ambitions for the year ahead are to get a full place on the England team and to drop his handicap to scratch. His medium-term goal is to get a college scholarship in the USA where he will be able to develop his game still further.
Anya Colley (Jet-Skiing)
16-year-old Anya Colley, from Long Eaton, is the 2007 European Ladies Champion and 2007 Junior World Champion. She was the first girl to win the Junior Drag Race World Champion. Anya has so far represented England and Great Britain in Russia, USA and most European countries, and was named Sports Person of the Year by the governing body Jet Sport Racing Association of Great Britain.
Ann Morris (Swimming)
14-year-old swimmer Ann Morris, from Morley in Derbyshire, is a member of the Derventio gold medal-winning relay team from last year’s national championship. She is also an individual medallist. Her most recent achievements are swimming at the Olympic Trials at Ponds Forge at the beginning of the month. She qualified to swim in the 100 freestyle, 400 freestyle and the 400 Individual Medley. She achieved personal bests in all three swims. Her time of 58.76 in the 100 free broke a County Junior and Open record last set six years ago. She recorded a time of 4.25.36 in the 400 freestyle and in the 400IM her time of 5.02.06 was fast enough to get her a place in the B final where she finished in eighth place. At the recent County championships she also broke a junior record set in 1981in the 800 freestyle recording a time of 8.56.27.
Olivia Sefton (Swimming)
Olivia Sefton, (16), is part of the Derventio eXcel Swim Squad. She is a Double National Youth Champion at 100m and 200m Butterfly, and was selected for the End of Year Tour to Asia and Australasia. She competed in the British Championships and Olympic Trials in Sheffield earlier this month and achieved qualifying times to compete in the European Juniors in 100m and 200m butterfly with the GB team in Belgrade in July.
The six Erewash athletes are among 60 sports performers from across Derbyshire supported by the Fund, and all of whom are competing for England or Great Britain or have the potential to do so within 18 months.