Aspiring Olympians, both Summer and Winter, and reigning European and British Champions are among the latest intake of scholars to receive support from the University of Bath on both their sporting and academic journeys.
The talented 2019-20 group of 15 student-athletes, who compete across 13 different sports, join 27 existing scholars who each receive a cash award that runs over the period of their course and helps them meet the demands of training, competing and studying at a high level.
Scholarships are supported by alumni, friends and partners of the University, who are passionate about giving talented young people the opportunity to benefit from Bath’s sporting and academic environment.
Among the new grants to be awarded this year is the Lewis Scholarship provided by University alumnus Iestyn Lewis, CEO of Team Bath partners Rengen Developments. The recipient is Welsh sprint hurdler Tomos Slade (Sports Performance), who is targeting qualification for next summer’s World U20 Championships in Kenya.
There is also a new Matrix Scholarship, supported by Matrix Fitness who provide equipment to the Team Bath Gym & Fitness Centre, and it has been awarded to Georgia Martin (Sports Performance) who is part of the successful British Rowing World-Class Start Programme at the University.
Fellow rower Becky Wilde (Sport & Social Science) is among six students to receive a Santander Scholarship. Oliver Murray (Electronic & Electrical Engineering) won men’s relay gold for GB at this summer’s Modern Pentathlon European Championships in Bath, while Leon Chevalier (Chemical Engineering) is the reigning BUCS triathlon champion.
Three freshers complete the Santander scholars for 2019-20 – Welsh hockey international Cari Davies (Business Administration), badminton player William Jones (Sports Performance) and Swedish international event rider Sofia Sjoborg (Integrated Mechanical & Electrical Engineering).
Another first-year engineering student, pentathlete Toby Price (Mechanical Engineering), has been awarded a Bill Whiteley Scholarship and swimmer William Ryley (Chemistry) receives a Goldsmith Scholarship – he is hoping to put himself in the mix for Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualification this season.
The Ivor Powell Scholarship – celebrating the legendary football coach who served the University of Bath until the age of 95 – goes to Bath Rugby Academy player George Worboys (Sports Performance), while Kirsty Way (Sport & Exercise Science) has been given the perfect boost ahead of next month’s World Trampolining Championships in Tokyo by receiving a King Scholarship.
This year’s Thompson Education Trust support has gone to Milly Wordley (Sport Management & Coaching), a GB water polo international, and Adam Hames (Sports Performance), who is representing British Bobsleigh on the North American Circuit this season having become the youngest British brakeman ever to make his World Cup debut earlier this year.
Lacrosse player William Hamernick (Management) has received an American Fund Scholarship, which supports postgraduate student-athletes from the United States.
The University of Bath was the first UK institution to offer scholarships, back in 1976, and among the student-athletes to have benefited from the support are Olympic medallists Michael Jamieson (swimming), Samantha Murray (modern pentathlon) and Dom Parsons (skeleton). Aspiring Tokyo 2020 Olympians Prisca Awiti-Alcaraz (judo), Joe Choong (modern pentathlon), Chari Hawkins (athletics) and Anna Hopkin (swimming) are among recent beneficiaries.
Current scholars include Team Bath and England Netball players Imogen Allison and Sophie Drakeford-Lewis, England Rugby U20 internationals Cara Clarke and Beck Cutting, GB Hockey U21 player Tim Nurse and Olympic swimming hopeful Tom Dean.
University of Bath Director of Sport Stephen Baddeley, a former Commonwealth badminton champion, said: “As someone who combined study and sport I know just how valuable this kind of support can be, so I would like to thank the alumni and friends of the University whose generous backing continues to make the scholarships possible.
“The range of sports and academic courses represented by our new scholars illustrates both the depth of talent and the educational opportunities available here at the University of Bath.”
Applications are already open to current and prospective University of Bath students for the 2020-21 scholarships. Visit www.teambath.com/scholarships for more information.
Courtesy of the Team Bath Press Office at Matchtight
