Coventry and Warwickshire 2012 Partnership

Name Jamie Blundell

Date of Birth 22/03/1989

Home Canley, Coventry

Sport Long Jump

Club/School Godiva Harriers

Achievements to date

• Gold at English Schools Championship in Birmingham 2007
• Gold at National Outdoor AAA Championships in Bedford 2008 (under 20s)
• Competed in Senior AAA competition in Birmingham July 2008

 

Personal Best 7.37m

Journey to 2012

“Getting to 2012,” Jamie enthuses, “that is my biggest ambition. There is going to be thousands, millions, of people watching around the world.”

The Coventry kid is hoping to make the massive leap to 2012 using a combination of hard work, determination and hopefully the funding to become a full-time athlete.

“We have got to push the right people to get funding for athletes if we want to put on a good show in 2012,” he added. 

Jamie coaches youngsters part-time to support his athletic efforts – his own talent was spotted at the age of eight in the Godiva Kids programme.

He packs in ten training sessions a week to keep himself in the winning form he’s been displaying over the last few years.

Name James Burden

Date of Birth 21/05/1992

Home Bedworth

Sport Swimming

Club/School City of Coventry Swimming Club

Achievements to date

• Broken 23 County Records Junior & Senior since 2006
• Currently holds the 16 year (time: 23.37) and 17 year old (time: 22.95) British Age Group Records in the 50m Freestyle: Acheiving Gold in the National Youth Championships in Sheffield 2008, and Silver in the British Gas National Youth Championships in 2009, 17/18 year old catagory
• Relay team gold at national championships in Sheffield 2006
• Gold in 50m freestyle at ASA National Youth Championships in Sheffield 2008 – setting a new British record for a 16-year-old, a new senior county record and new City of Coventry Swimming Club record with a time of 23.65
• Qualified for Beijing Olympic trials

Personal Best 100m freestyle – 52.77 50m freestyle – 23.65 100m butterfly – 58.17

Journey to 2012

"In the coming year, following a break over the summer my main aim is to get back to peak fitness and concentrate on training in order to make the British Championships in March 2010," explains James.

Having made the step up to international swimming by making the selection for the European Junior Championship held in Prague 2009 a year early, James will be hoping to secure team selection again in 2010.

"The experience from this year's competition will stand me in good stead to hopefuly fulfill my potentional and be amongst the medalists in Helsinki in 2010," he added.

Hi young age could mean he will still be too young to compete at 2012 – as he will only be 20 – but he plans on giving it his best shot: "It would be pretty good and to be cheered on by a home crowd would be amazing,” he said.

James’ life revolves around swimming, “I don’t know what else I would do and,” he added, “I don’t have time to do anything else.” Unsurprising as the teen’s intensive schedule sees him training nine times a week, which, by September, will have to fit around studying for A-Levels in business, sport and biology.

Name Rowena Cole

Date of Birth 13/01/1992

Home Tile Hill, Coventry

Sport 800m

Club/School Godiva Harriers

Achievements to date

• Winning English Schools Championships in Birmingham 2007
• Competed for England in Home Schools Championships 2007
• Picked to take part in On Camp with Kelly – coaching with Dame Kelly Holmes
• Won a bronze medal at the IAAF World Youth Championships in 2008 and was awarded England Athletics' Young Female Athlete of the Year

 

Personal Best 2 mins 03.83 secs

Journey to 2012

“Being ambitious; never giving up; eating well; upping my training every year; getting new PBs,” just some of the ingredients Rowena believes she needs to get herself to London 2012. 

Rowena is currently riding on the crest of success with a meteoric rise through the local athletics scene. She started running fast at the age of 11 after enduring “cross country running in primary school”.

Goals for 2008/09 include: Winning the English Schools Championships again, starting her A-levels and breaking the two minute 10 second barrier.

“To be at the London Olympics with everyone you know there and cheering you on would be incredible,” the talented teen added.

Name Naomi Folkard

Date of Birth 18/09/1983

Home Leamington

Sport Archery

Club/School Dunlop Archery Club

Achievements to date

• Representing Team GB at the Olympic Games in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008
• Birmingham University graduate (music)
• Qualifying for Beijing 2008 in individual and team events
• Individual bronze - World Indoor Championships 2007
• Team gold - World Championships (outdoor) 2007

Journey to 2012

Having already taken aim at two Olympic Games, Naomi will have London 2012 in her line of fire.

“It is my ambition to get an Olympic medal. Any colour medal would be wonderful but, of course, I will be going for gold,” Naomi said.

As the youngest team member in Athens, Naomi’s impressive 11th place cemented her place as a Great British archer. Now in full-time training and living in Kidderminster, Naomi added: “2012 is a big ambition and to be on home turf, with a home crowd, would be the greatest feeling.”

Name Laura Hunter-Thomas

Date of Birth

Home Rugby/Oregon, US

Sport Fencing

Club/School Oregon Fencing Association and associated with Bedford Fencing Club

Achievements to date

• Being selected to join the Oregon Fencing Alliance in the US for four years of training with Ed Korfanty, one of the world’s best coaches
• Becoming number one cadet at under-17 level in Britain
• Beat the current world champion 8-5

 

Journey to 2012

“2012 is probably the biggest reason I am doing this,” said Laura from her family’s new home in Portland, Oregon. Laura’s family has moved to the US for her training, although she will still compete for Team GB.

“The Olympics is my biggest goal in fencing. I have always wanted to go. It’s every athlete’s dream.” The teen is undergoing an intensive training regime with Ed Korfanty.

“I could probably never do it in Britain,” said Laura, “fencing is such a low key sport at home and the funding just isn’t there.” Laura will be back on British soil later this year for competitions and hopes to travel to Belfast to compete in the World Championships.

Name Sam Ingram

Date of Birth 22/5/1985

Home Coventry

Sport Judo

Club/School Edinburgh

Achievements to date

A comparative newcomer to GBR VI judo squad, Sam took bronze at the Beijing Paralympic Games in the 90kg catergory, where he made his debut.

Sam also has a degree in Broadcasting.

Journey to 2012

Name Sara McGreavy

Date of Birth 13/12/1983

Home Leamington

Sport 60 and 100m Hurdles

Club/School Sale Harriers

Achievements to date

• Amateur Athletic Association Championships 2005 (July, Manchester, UK): 7^th
• AAA Indoor Championships 2006 (February, Sheffield, UK): 4^th
• AAA Championships 2006 (July, Manchester, UK): 2nd
• 2006 European Championships in Athletics (August, Gothenburg, Sweden): 7^th
• UK Challenge Final 2006 (August, Manchester, UK: 1^st
• AAA Indoor Championships 2007 (February, Sheffield, UK): 1^st
• 2007 European Indoor Championships in Athletics (March, Birmingham, UK): 5th
• AAA Indoor Championships 2008 (February, Sheffield, UK): 2^nd
• AAA Championships 2008 (July, Birmingham, UK): 2^nd

Personal Best 60m hurdles – 8.03s (2007) 100m hurdles – 13.2s (2006)

Journey to 2012

Sara is striding towards a place at the 2012 Games. The young star has so far taken the athletics world by storm and, just short of her 29th birthday, stands a great chance of taking part of London 2012.

The 2007 local sportswoman of the year (Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Sports Awards) has her sights, in the short term, set on Beijing.

“I should be at my prime when 2012 comes around and it'll be great to compete on home soil,” Sara said. “It will be amazing to have 30,000 Brits cheering you on, and I'm sure the Games will leave a great legacy for the whole country.”

Name Nigel Murray

Date of Birth 22/05/1964

Home Leamington

Sport Boccia

Club/School

Achievements to date

• Gold medal Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games Individual BC2
• Gold medal Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Team BC1-2
• Silver medal Beijing 2008 paralympic Games Individal BC2

Journey to 2012

Name James Roe

Date of Birth 28/03/1988

Home Stratford-upon-Avon

Sport Adaptive Rowing

Club/School Stratford-upon-Avon Boat Club/ Reading University Boat Club

Achievements to date

Won Gold in the adaptive coxed foursevent at the Rowing World Cup in Munich, Germinay in June 2009

 

Won Gold at the Rowing World Championships 2009, Poznan Poland.

Journey to 2012

Name Holly Scott

Date of Birth 27/09/1989

Home Coleshill

Sport Sailing

Club/School Shustoke Sailing Club

Achievements to date

• Winning the Mirror World Championships in January 2007 in South Africa with sailing partner Anna MacKenzie – the first girls ever to do so
• Being nominated for BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2007

 

Journey to 2012

Despite living in the landlocked Midlands, Holly is a rising star in the sailing world. Holly would visit her father’s sailing club and even as a youngster, her skill and passion for the sport were obvious and she took to it like a duck to water.

In 2008 Holly moved to Southahmpton to begin her University course. She said: “It was a tactical choice. I wanted to be somewhere I could sail all the time. I’ll join the university team and be on the water as much as I can before 2012.

“I love everything about sailing and being on the water. I sail a lot in Weymouth (where London 2012’s sailing events will take place) so it would be amazing to compete and I’d have the advantage of inside knowledge and experience. It would be an awesome experience. Although I’d miss being in a hot country!”

Name Kelly Sibley

Date of Birth 21/05/1988

Home Leamington

Sport Table Tennis

Club/School SA Souche Niort (France)

Achievements to date

• Ranked number one woman table tennis player in the UK
• Triple National Junior champion (singles, pairs and mixed)
• Represented Team GB at Commonwealth Games in Melbourne 2006
• Three gold medals at 2008 national championships in Sheffield

Personal Best Winning a gold medal at the World Team Championships in Division 1

Journey to 2012

“The dream is to compete in the London Olympics and that’s what my life is geared towards over the new few years,” Kelly says.

Kelly’s impressive record sees her sitting at the top of the table tennis pile in Britain. Global competition is tough in her sport though and Kelly has spent time in China, practicing seven hours a day with the best players in the world.

She added: “I dream about getting a gold medal but any colour would be amazing. Just to be up there on the podium in my home country would mean so much.”

Name Nathan Woodward

Date of Birth 17/10/1989

Home Coleshill

Sport 400m Hurdles

Club/School Tamworth Athletics Club

Achievements to date

• Number one 18-year-old hurdler in the UK
• In under-20s ranked second in the UK, sixth in Europe and 19th in the world
• UK School Games Ambassador

 

Personal Best 51.5s

Journey to 2012

“I want to show the world what I can do,” says Nathan, “a career at the top level of athletics is definitely my first aim. I am trying to achieve the best I can achieve and be the best I can be.”

Nathan is certainly on track to be in the starting blocks in 2012 with a passion and determination rarely seen in competitors of his age. Nathan will only be 23 in 2012 but he is on track to take on the world in his event.

UK Athletics has recognised Nathan’s immense talent and put him in its World Class Talent Programme, which offers essential National Lottery funding, plus coaching, support and medical help, to encourage the young hopefuls for London 2012.