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Derby's rising sporting stars share bursaries from the Derbyshire Talented Athlete Fund

12 May 2010

A total of 27 athletes have been awarded cash from the Fund which helps athletes who compete for England or Great Britain, or are predicated to do so within 18 months, to meet training and competition costs.

Basketball players Rema Lascelles, Mikey Manghum, Kingsley Okoroh, Tom Pereira and Joshua Ward-Hibbert, boxers Talia Anthony, Jodie Brierley and Usman Malik, and gymnasts Charlotte Caunt, Anthony Colder and Demi Watkins are among those to receive a bursary.

Tennis players Ceire Mullins and Christopher Simpson, canoe polo competitors Claire Mitchell and Martyn Williamson, footballer Leon Taylor, rugby player Harry Rudkin and swimmer Zichen Liu have also been awarded a share of the funding pot.

Completing the line-up are karate competitors Taylor Brooks-Brown, Brandon Carr and Ryan Minion, and Gabby Bates (Freestyle Kayak), Lydia Bunn (Inline Speed Skating), Chloe Astle (Inline Speed Skating), Mark Gregory (Powerlifting), Ruebyn Richards (Taekwondo) and David Smith (Bobsleigh).

Among the Fund’s financial backers are Derby City Council, Derbyshire County Cricket Club, Rolls-Royce and the University of Derby.

Paul Robinson from Derby City Council, Tom Holdcroft from Derbyshire County Cricket Club, Phil Horton from Rolls-Royce and Ollie Shearer, Sports Development Coordinator at the University of Derby, gathered to congratulate the athletes at Moorways Sports Centre Stadium on Tuesday 11 May.

The athletes have also been presented with free leisure passes for all Derby City Council owned leisure facilities to help them with their training as they bid to reach the top in their chosen sport.

More about each of the athletes is below.

Now in its third year, the Derbyshire Talented Athlete Fund has been set up thanks to contributions from a number of partners, including local authorities and businesses.

In addition to Derby City Council, other contributors include Derbyshire County Council, South Derbyshire District Council, High Peak Borough Council, Chesterfield Borough Council, North East Derbyshire District Council, Amber Valley Borough Council, Erewash Borough Council, Bolsover District Council and Derbyshire Dales District Council.

Rolls-Royce, the University of Derby, Derbyshire County Cricket Club, Lorson International, Derby College and the Electrical Contractors Association have also all shown their support financially for a third year.

The athletes are:

Talia Anthony (Boxing)

19-year-old Talia, from Oakwood, hopes to compete at the Olympic Games in 2012 and was one of only five female boxers in the 51kg category chosen to take part in a series of Olympic qualifying sessions at the EIS in Sheffield. A member of Chadd ABC, she won a title at the BUCS boxing championships in March.

Chloe Astle (Inline Speed Skating)

Chloe (14), won the British Marathon Championships and Outdoor British Championships last year, along with the Goodwood Inline Midi Marathon. She has now moved up to the 13 – 15 age group and her key goal for this year is to qualify to race for Team GB at the European Championships.

Gabby Bates (Freestyle Kayak)

Gabby (17), has competed for the Junior Ladies GB Freestyle Team, and last year maintained her British Champion title and took first place in the Youth Freestyle Series 2009. The Mickleover teenager is tipped as a potential medallist at the 2010 European Freestyle Championships, which take place in June, and is also working towards qualifying for a place in the British team for the World Championships in 2011.

Jodie Brierley (Boxing)

Jodie, from Shelton Lock, won the National Class B Championship last year, and was invited to attend the GB selection squad. A member of Chadd ABC, the 18-year-old competed at the ABA Championships in March, and at the NCYP Championships later this year.

Taylor Brooks-Brown (Karate)

12-year-old Taylor, from Oakwood, represented England at the European Championships in Dublin in October. He trains monthly with the England Squad and with Derby Karate Academy three times a week, and hopes to represent England again in August and the National Championships in Japan.

Lydia Bunn (Inline Speed Skating)

Lydia, from Spondon, has competed for the GB junior team. The 14-year-old’s achievements in the past year have included becoming overall British Champion (cadets 13-15), British Outdoor Champion in relay and time trial and Indoor British Champion (Cadets 13-15).

Brandon Carr (Karate)

Brandon (12), is a regional Karate Kata champion and represented England at the European Championships in Dublin in October. The Derby youngster trains with Derby Karate Academy and hopes to represent England again at the National Championships in Japan later this year.

Charlotte Caunt (Gymnastics)

Charlotte has competed for GB at junior level and is a two-times gold medallist at international events. The 13-year-old from Mackworth was the winner of the Open Age Group tumbling final in Portugal and was the Junior Sportswoman of the Year at the 2009 Derby City Sports Awards. She represented GB at the Tumbling World Finals in November.

Anthony Colder (Gymnastics)

12-year-old Anthony, from Mackworth, won gold at the British Championships in the 11-12 age group in March 2009. He also won gold in the same age group at the Bulgarian Open Tumbling Championships and represented GB in the World Tumbling Finals last November.

Mark Gregory (Powerlifting)

Powerlifter Mark, from Littleover, is the current British No.1 and holder of five Commonwealth records. He competes in the 100kg class, and won bronze at the IPF Junior World Championships in South Africa, and the EPF Junior European Championships in Sweden. The 24-year-old also won the Great Britain Powerlifting Federation British Junior Powerlifting Championships and the British Senior Championships and qualified to represent GB at the IPF Open World Championships in India.

Rema Lascelles (Basketball)

17-year-old Rema, from Oakwood, competed for the England U18 team at the European Championship in Bosnia last year and hopes to be selected to compete at the tournament again in 2010. He also travelled to France with the team in April to play five international games. He was part of the Derby Trailblazers U18 Basketball Team which won the Premier League North and the National Finals.

Zichen Liu (Swimming)

Zichen (18), achieved a national qualifying time for the 2009 British Championships in the 100m backstroke. He also competed at the Midland Youth Championships, where he won silver in his age group in the 200m individual medley and 200m backstroke. The Allenton teenager’s aims for the next 12 months include competing at the European Junior Championships and winning a medal at the ASA National Youth Championships.

Usman Malik (Boxing)

In 2009 22-year-old Usman, from Littleover, boxed for England against Wales and is currently ranked No.10 in England. This year he hopes to compete at the Open Senior ABA Championships and win the Midland ABA title.

Mikey Manghum (Basketball)

19-year-old Mikey, from Oakwood, has competed for England U18 and Derby Trailblazers, captaining the England U18 team at last year's Euro B Championships. He is currently attending Oral Roberts University in America, where he had originally planned to have a developmental year, practicing with the team but sitting out the games. However due to a number of injuries in the team he was called up to play mid-season. He is now training in preparation to play in this summer's European Championships with the GB U20s squad.

Ryan Minion (Karate)

Mickleover’s Ryan Minion (15), was selected to compete in the 2009 European Championships in Dublin. He is currently competing at national and international levels with a view to take part in the World Championships in Japan later this year.

Claire Mitchell (Canoe Polo)

23-year-old Claire represented the GB Senior Women's team at the 2009 European Canoe Polo Championships in Essen, Germany, winning a gold medal. She hopes to be part of the starting five which will compete at the World Championships in September.

Ceire Mullins (Tennis)

12-year-old Ceire has represented Great Britain at 12 and under level and is currently ranked No.8 in Great Britain in that age group. She was the runner-up in the National Clay Court Championships in June and was the winner of the Derbyshire 12 and under Junior County Closed.

Kingsley Okoroh (Basketball)

Kingsley (15), from Littleover, has competed for England at several tournaments and hopes to help the England U16 team win the European Basketball Championships in Estonia in August. He also competes for the Derby Trailblazers.

Tom Pereira (Basketball)

19-year-old Tom was part of the GB U18 team which competed in Serbia last year, finishing in fourth place. He was also part of the England U18 squad that won the Cherbourg Tournament, and the Derby Trailblazers team which won the National League Premier North title and the National Championship.

Ruebyn Richards (Taekwondo)

Ruebyn (17), is competing in International Taekwondo Federation national and international competitions and is eligible for selection for the ITF World Junior Championships in August. He is ranked No.1 at junior level. He has also been selected for World Taekwondo Federation Junior England training camps as preparation to represent England, competing in 'A' class international competitions and won bronze at the 2009 WTF British International Championships.

Harry Rudkin (Rugby Union)

15-year-old Harry, from Breadsall, is part of the Leicester Tigers Elite Player Development Group and has competed at U15 and U16 level. He is now working hard towards a place at Leicester Tigers Academy.

Christopher Simpson (Tennis)

Chris (17), has represented Great Britain at 18 and under level and is currently ranked No.5 in that age group. He won an ITF grade 4 event in Turkey in May and was a semi-finalist at the Egypt Open in July, an ITF grade 3 tournament. In the next 12 months he hopes to play in at least two of the junior majors. 

David Smith (Bobsleigh)

In 2009 David (29), raced on the Europa Cup during his first bobsleigh season in both the two-man and four-man. This year he hopes to compete on the World Cup tour as breakman for GB1, and is part of the 2014 squad. He is aiming to be GB1 breakman for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Leon Taylor (Football)

Leon, from Chaddesden, is a member of the England Cerebral Palsy Football Team. He competed at the Arafura Games in Australia, where he was captain of the team in the match against Japan, and also competed at the Home Nations last year. The 35-year-old was a goalkeeper in the seven-a-side Cerebral Palsy football squad which competed at the Paralympic Games in Beijing in 2008.

Joshua Ward-Hibbert (Basketball)

Joshua (16), is a member of Derby Trailblazers Basketball Club. He was selected to represent England U15s at a European tournament in June and became the only GB player to be in all-star team that was selected from competition. He also represented England U16s at a tournament in Denmark.

Demi Watkins (Gymnastics)

Demi (14), has competed for GB at junior level. She finished in second place at the Portuguese International Tumbling Age Groups (13-14 years), and competed at the British Open in November.

Martyn Williamson (Canoe Polo)

Martyn, from Allestree, competes for GB at senior level and was last year selected to compete at the European Canoe Polo Championships in Essen, Germany, where he won a bronze medal. The 29-year-old also won the National League and the National Club Championships with his club, Viking.