Croftway Academy are excited to be hosting an inspirational workshop with Team GB Hammer Thrower Bethan Lishman. Bethan needs your help to raise funds for vital training, medical and competition costs. This money will also help your school and other athletes across the country, find out more below!
Croftway Academy is a friendly, happy, vibrant school located in Blyth. The youngest children are just three years old and can learn with the academy all the way up to Year Six (aged 11).
Who's Coming?
How I started:
I started in athletes because my mum was an athletics official. We were all told that we were going to do a sport, but I didn’t like the uniform the sprinters had to wear so I decided to try Hammer Throw because my brother did it, but also my sister is an Olympic long jumper so I wanted to follow in her footsteps
My Greatest Achievement:
My greatest achievement is being the runner-up to the Sports Personality of the Year award. My very close friend, Jodie, won the award and gave me a little shoutout during the speech! There is a judge from every corner of the country, who judge all of the nominated athletes. The public then vote on their favourite athlete and whoever gets the most votes is crowned the winner! I lost out by 8 votes, but was over the moon to have been the runner-up especially when it’s behind one of my closest friends!
My Greatest Challenge:
My greatest challenge was being told that I might not be able to walk again and do the sport that I want to do and have been doing since the age of 8 years old, especially since I had so many more aims that I hadn’t quite met yet. It started with back pain, so I went to the doctors and they simply told me I just had some pains and should try stretching to relieve the pain. This was a misdiagnosis as I actually had a cancerous tumour in my spine. Once it was discovered I was given the choice between an operation that gave me a low chance of ever being able to walk again, or be bound to a wheelchair. I spoke to my coach, and he said that either way I could end up in a wheelchair, so I took the chance on the surgery and worked through all of the recovery process and learned to walk again only to go on and achieve everything I was dreaming of doing before the ordeal!
My Hobbies:
Outside of athletics, I like photography, and where I live it’s extremely photogenic so I do a lot of walking in the fells taking photos and catching Pokemon on Pokemon Go! My favourite walk is the Coffin Rim, which is a 22 mile walk between Thirlmere and Rydal.
My Future Aspirations:
In the future I aim to achieve a bronze medal in the Olympics as I want to match or better my sister, who medalled in the Olympics. So I’d love to either better or match her!
Who are Sports For Champions?
Great news! Sports For Champions UK (CIC) will soon visit your school! Your young people have been invited to join a sponsored fitness circuit led by a Professional athlete, who will educate, enable, and empower participants with a view to inspiring them to be the champions of tomorrow.
While we're not all athletically inclined, we strongly encourage participation, all young people have talent and require inspiration to pursue their dreams - whatever they may be!
After 12 years of success we have perfected our inspirational events and they are guaranteed to deliver for your school and pupils!
Sports For Champions events are held in support of schools, which keep 60% of the funds raised to spend on resources that will enrich young peoples education/experience. Professional athletes in need of support are the only other beneficiaries from the remaining 40%. Sports For Champions is an audited organisation that is voluntarily registered with the Fundraising Regulator. Meaning you can support the initiative with assurance.
What will happen on the day?
During the assembly, Sports For Champions athletes show medals and tell their story, hard work, lessons, and insights shared to capture the imagination of all and inspire healthier active lifestyles. Athletes discuss challenges on the road to success, with resilience, nutrition, diet, and dedication forming key topics. Fitness is essential for every young person’s general wellbeing in physical and mental health. It is also proven to be a strong booster of learning potential or brain power. By inspiring children as champions of tomorrow, Sports For Champions envision young people developing in all walks of life as healthy, [pro] active community-minded participants in society.
Alongside Team Sports For Champions, athletes engage in invaluable work within local communities to support their training-related costs (e.g. physio/travel). Most world-class athletes train a rigorous 35hr week and struggle to find reliable work that fits their schedule. This is how the funds we raise enable athletes and your school/club to realise their potential. Many pro athletes are unsponsored, lose support, or cannot find it.
Sports For Champions offers schools the benefit of an additional funds to go towards resources/facilities, whilst helping athletes with the funds required to sustain their journey with a contribution towards training and competition fees, medical costs, equipment, and more.
Croftway Academy will be receiving an inspirational visit from Team GB Hammer Thrower Bethan Lishman, on the 24th of October 2024 and we need your support!
The pupils will benefit from physical activity through our fitness circuit, an inspirational talk including medal display and a Q&A session.
Where does the money go?
When parents and guardians offer their support to a Sports for Champions UK (CIC) fundraising event, they are nurturing not only their children's immediate environments but also the bright futures of many rising athletes. Here is a breakdown of how your contributions make a significant difference:
For each fundraising event Sports For Champions looks to raise enough money to cover the costs that it takes to provide such an excellent service nationally. Once that goal is reached, surplus funds are allocated in a way that benefits both the school and our passionate athletes – 60% for the school’s continued growth and 40% contributing to the athlete fund.
At the core of the Sports For Champions UK (CIC) initiative is the Athlete Fund. Primarily, the fund aids schools in less economically privileged areas that might struggle with costs, ensuring that the administrative fee isn’t a barrier to vital opportunities. Additionally, it assists our dedicated athletes in moments of pressing need, whether it’s recovering from injuries, procuring advanced equipment, or embarking on warm-weather training camps. Our fundamental belief remains unwavering: no school should be compromised for its economic stance, and every promising athlete deserves a fair shot at excellence. Our commitment ensures no child or school is left behind due to circumstances beyond their control.
Challenges Athletes Face: Our partnering pro athletes and Team GB Olympians have a world of responsibilities on their shoulders. They juggle between a rigorous training schedule that demands over 35 hours a week and their personal commitments. This often leaves them with limited time and resources to focus on their careers, leading to financial constraints. Expenses for equipment, training, coaching, travel, and more pile up, making it a challenge for these athletes to perform at their best and represent Great Britain.
Why is this important?
Croftway Academy is promoting health and wellbeing throughout the school and with the help of a visit from Bethan Lishman, this will be enhanced across all year groups and staff, they are also focussing on encouraging diversity and raising the aspirations of the pupils through sport.
Croftway Academy will benefit from the money raised as they will be able to provide new equipment, fund opportunities for the children, and more.
How can you help?
We're asking all parents to help make it a memorable event for the pupils with the help of Team GB Hammer Thrower Bethan Lishman, to raise funds for key resources for Croftway Academy.
If you are a local business or a friend of the school and would like to contribute to help us get to our target then please do make a donation and share our project as far as you can.