Potter receives funding boost as she chases Olympic dream

IT takes a lot of hard work and dedication to reach the top, but Stratford fencer Sophia Potter has been handed a major boost towards achieving her sporting ambitions thanks to a nationwide funding initiative.

The Backing The Best programme, managed by SportsAid for Sport England, aims to support athletes who would face difficulties progressing through their sport’s talent development system without critical financial help.

The ground-breaking programme was launched in 2016 with 70 athletes receiving support before 95 up-and-coming stars benefitted from the scheme in its second term.

Now in its third year, Stratford-upon-Avon School pupil Potter is one of 115 athletes being helped across more than 30 sporting disciplines.

And the 17-year-old is aiming high, with her dream being to one day appear at an Olympic Games.

“As it’s an individual sport, you have to work yourself to prepare for your game because no one else will do it for you,” said Potter, speaking at a Backing The Best workshop at Loughborough University.

“All my success has helped me as a person and set me goals, because I would love to go to the Olympics.

“My mum got me into fencing. I do loads of different sports like rugby, football, netball, gymnastics and then I left primary school and my mum wanted a sport that me and my brother could do together.

“She found this local club and it was Shakespeare Swords, so she took us to it. I was 11 and my brother was nine.

“We both loved it and enjoyed it, but my brother did have to drop out because it got quite serious for me, going to the British Championships in my first or second year.

“My brother dropped out kindly so my mum could pay for it all because it’s so expensive.

“He is more into rugby and golf and he’s quite good at that.”

Backed by £5.5 million of National Lottery funding over a four-year period, Backing The Best presents annual awards of £5,000 per athlete to help with essential costs such as travel, accommodation, kit, nutrition and medical bills, as well as extra support from coaches.

Many of the previous awardees have now progressed on to Athlete Performance Award funding with UK Sport. Alumni include gymnast Taeja James who won team silver at the recent Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, and taekwondo athlete Bradly Sinden.

Although for Potter, she has a particular role model a little closer home she aspires to be like.

“I see Richard Kruse, a fencer who does a different sword and he’s amazing. He’s got a job and he went to the Olympics,” she added.

“He did come fourth, he just missed out on a medal but he did so well and I always see him if I go to the main fencing ring in London, he’s there training. I always aspire to him because he trains so hard and it just pays off in the end.”

Backing The Best is helping young talented athletes facing the greatest financial pressure to pursue their sporting ambitions. The programme, managed by SportsAid for Sport England, is supported by National Lottery funding. Please visit www.sportengland.org/our-work/talent/backing-the-best/ for more information.