Bristol blind sailing star nominated for Sporting Champions Awards

The 46-year-old athlete – who is a silver medallist at international Blind Sailing level – is up for Regional Champion of the Year at Everyone Active’s Sporting Champions Awards, which are due to be held at Porchester Hall in Bayswater, London on Wednesday, October 30.

The event will be hosted by Great Britain’s double world 110m hurdles champion and former world record holder Colin Jackson.

Everyone Active runs more than 230 leisure and cultural centres across the country, including Horfield Leisure Centre, Henbury Leisure Centre, St Pauls Community Sports Academy and Bristol South Swimming Pool, which are run in partnership with Bristol City Council.

The company’s Sporting Champions scheme is a sports talent development programme which supports 1,400 athletes.

Now in its eighth year, the initiative has helped thousands of athletes to achieve their sporting potential by providing free access to Everyone Active’s leisure facilities nationwide.

Sporting Champions athletes won an incredible 23 medals at this year’s Olympics and Paralympics – nine gold, six silver and eight bronze – while 14 athletes competed at their first Olympics or Paralympics in Paris.

Award winners will include those who have had career successes or who have engaged with the Sporting Champions scheme and their local Everyone Active centre. Everyone Active will also celebrate those who have helped to inspire other up-and-coming sportsmen and women.

Sally, who trains at Horfield Leisure Centre, is a dedicated member of Blind Sailing UK, having spent her sporting career inspiring others and achieving a raft of medals at international competitions. Most recently, the sailor achieved a silver medal at the Match Racing World Championships in summer, exemplifying her continued success in the sport.

The awards ceremony will be preceded by a mentoring workshop, led by the scheme’s team of Elite athletes. Richard Kilty, Maisie Summers-Newton and Lauren Steadman starred on the Paris 2024 stage, and they will be joined by Olympians Lutalo Muhammad and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey to share their insights and experiences and help guide the Sporting Champions athletes in their own careers.

Cameron Bate, Everyone Active’s contract manager, said: “We’re incredibly proud to have supported Sally over many years in Bristol. To see her amazing sporting achievements has been inspiring to staff and customers, in what is a very tough discipline for someone who is visually impaired. We wish her the best at our national awards and hope she brings the win back home to Bristol!

“It’s fantastic to see how the scheme has expanded over the years, now providing more than 1,400 athletes nationwide with access to top-quality training facilities and support. We hope to continue making a real difference to our athletes’ successes.”

To find out more about the Everyone Active’s Sporting Champions scheme, visit www.easportingchampions.com or follow @easportingchamps on Instagram. For further information on Everyone Active, visit www.everyoneactive.com