Rob is off to the Euros

Paracanoe star Robert Oliver is on his way to Racice in the Czech Republic where he will represent Team GB when he competes in the K1 200m at the Senior European Championships at the end of this month.

British number one, Rob, sealed his place at Racice by winning the two qualifying races at the recent selection regatta held at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham.

"I am absolutely buzzing, it was great to see all the hard winters training pay off on the water" said Rob, "the weather conditions for the trials were terrible with really high winds, but I dug in to get the result. The times weren’t important it was all about finishing first and gaining selection for the European Championships".

The European Championships are only one of Rob's targets this year, as he will also be looking to represent Great Britain at the World Championships in Milan, Italy in August. Then, in 2016, all thoughts will turn to Rio where Paracanoe will make its' debut at the Paralympic Games. 

Rob was a talented footballer up until 2008 when he broke his leg during a match aged 20. Later, following no fewer than 17 operations he was forced to have his leg amputated due to medical negligence. Rob thought his life as a sportsman was over but two years later he climbed into a kayak and was given a new lease of life in Paracanoe.

“In 2011 I set myself a goal to be the very best which, to me, means World and Paralympic Champion,” said Rob, "qualifying for the European Championships is the first step on the journey and I am thankful to everyone for their support" he added.

We wish Rob well at the European Championships.

Follow us on Twitter @17_management   @RobertOliverGB

#paracanoe #EuropeanChampion #CanoeSprint

Tom becomes British Champion

Tonbridge AC athlete Tom Bosworth (25) became British Champion for the fourth time at the weekend when he won the National 20k race walk title whilst competing in Hillingdon.

Tom who trains with coach Andi Drake at the National Race Walking Centre at Leeds Beckett University said; “it was a great confidence booster to win the national title for the fourth time, the time was not important to me today, it was all about finishing first. My performance has proved to me that I am in very good shape ahead of the European Cup in 4 weeks time".

The European Cup in Murcia, Spain sees the top race walkers in Europe come together to represent their countries, although Tom is the only British senior man to achieve the qualifying standard. "The European Cup will provide me with a high level of competition and I am proud to be representing Great Britain, it is the fourth time I have competed in the European Cup since making my debut as a Junior in 2009" said Tom.

After the European Cup, Tom will return to the track in the World Trials in Bedford in June, the first two finishers from that race will go on to represent Team GB at the World Athletics Championships in Beijing in August, provided that they have achieved the qualifying standard, which Tom has. "My whole season has been geared to towards the World Championships, it will give me a real indication of where I stand in world terms and will give me an idea of what I need to do ahead of the Rio Olympics next year".

Having already broken the British 10k record this year, a record that had stood for 26 years, Tom admits to having an eye on the 20k record. "I came very close to the 20k record in Switzerland recently" Tom said "“I am honoured to move the event on and I want to keep making the records faster, so the current crop of young race walkers will have to aim high to become the British No.1". "I’m planning to continue to push race walking back into the mainstream of athletics once again.” We certainly wouldn't bet against Tom doing that.

Off the track Tom has recently been appointed as an Ambassador for Athlete Ally – a non-profit organisation inspiring athletes to act as leaders championing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality. He says: “In life I’ve learnt you can either sit by and watch others try to make a difference, or you can stand alongside those and make a difference with them, for you are always stronger together. That’s why I am so honoured to be an Athlete Ally Ambassador.”

You can find out more about Tom through his website www.tombosworth.com

Follow us on Twitter @17_management   @TomBosworth

#athlete #BritishChampion #athletics #RaceWalking

Kelly and Julie go underground!

Team GB Olympian judo fighter Kelly Edwards was part of a team that included London 2012 Paralympian Julie Rogers, also Simon Cox and Ian Byers who completed the Tube Challenge of visiting all 270 London Underground stations in a day. The team of four took on the ever changing challenge of the London underground network for the charity Niamh's Next Step, to raise money and awareness of the charity and Neuroblastoma - a rare form of childhood cancer. 

The team set out from Heathrow Airport at 5:02 am on the Piccadilly Line, and navigated all 250 miles of the London Underground to visit all of the 270 stations within the network on the hottest day of the year so far. Battling against the heat, the daily hustle and bustle of the tube and tiredness of the long day, the team reached their final destination of Chesham on the Metropolitan Line at 23:20 tired and exhausted.

Kelly said "It was an amazing day where we were on the go constantly for 18 hours and 18 minutes. I’m delighted that we managed to succeed in the challenge and I hope that the money and awareness we raised for the charity helps make a difference in the fight against tackling Neuroblastoma”.

If you would like to find out more about the Niamhs Next Step charity, you can visit their website www.nns.org.uk Or if you would like to sponsor Kelly, Julie and the team for their challenge, you can do so here www.justgiving.com/tubechallengers

Follow us on Twitter @17_management   @Kel_Edwards1   @JulieeRogerss

#athletes #challenge #charity #sponsorship

Julie swaps the running track for train tracks

Paralympian Julie Rogers is to swap the running track for train tracks next week when she joins a team taking on the challenge of visiting all 270 London Underground stations in a day for the Niamh's Next Step charity, to raise funds for research into childhood cancer.

Julie (16) a pupil at Bedford Modern School, represented team GB in the London 2012 Paralympics when she was just 13, as a member of the sitting volleyball team. Julie was born without the tibia and fibula in her right leg and at the age of 2 had her leg amputated through the knee. Then followed a further amputation when Julie was 5 so that she could be fitted with a more advanced prosthesis. Having competed at London 2012, Julie is now taking on a new challenge in the world of athletics, as a T42 sprinter.

The tube challenge starts at Hounslow West Tube Station on the Piccadilly Line and at any point, the team face the challenge of the ever changing tube network and will be up against it from 5:00 am through until midnight as they look to complete the network in a day to raise awareness and funds for the charity.

"I'm honoured to be able to support the amazing charity Niamh's Next Step and to be able to help raise money and awareness for research into childhood cancer", said Julie. "The challenge will be tough but hopefully fun too" she added.

Chairman of the Charity, Chris Curry said "Niamh's Next Step are honoured to have such a great team of people taking part in The Tube Challenge to help raise vital money and awareness of the rare childhood cancer Neuroblastoma. Every single penny raised for this challenge will go directly towards funding research into Neuroblastoma which sadly receives no funding from the NHS or government at this time”.

If you would like to find out more about the Niamhs Next Step charity, you can visit their website www.nns.org.uk Or if you would like to sponsor Julie and the team in their challenge, you can do so here www.justgiving.com/tubechallengers

Follow us on Twitter @17_Management   @JulieeRogerss   @NiamhsNextStep

#charity #challenge #Paralympics