Tokyo 2020 Olympian Kate Shortman is among an exciting new intake of University of Bath sporting scholars for the 2021-22 academic year.
Shortman, who represented Team GB in the women’s duet event this summer, is joined among the scholars by fellow artistic swimmer Daniella Lloyd. Swimmer Cam Brooker, rower Phoebe Hayden, cricketer Gemma Lane, fencer Louise Sadler, judoka Josh Shipp and sprinter Aleeya Sibbons are the other high-performing student-athletes who have received a cash award to help them meet the demands of training, competing and studying at an elite 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. Previous recipients include Tokyo Olympic Champions Joe Choong (modern pentathlon) and Tom Dean, Anna Hopkin and Calum Jarvis (swimming).
Shortman began an International Management and Modern Languages (French) degree course a month after placing 14th overall at the Tokyo Olympics with fellow City of Bristol Artistic Swimming Club star Izzy Thorpe. She will be supported by a Bill Whiteley Sporting Scholarship as she targets a return to Japan in May 2022 for the FINA World Championships in Fukuoka, where Shortman is hoping for a top-ten finish in the solo event.
Lloyd, who was an Olympic reserve to Shortman and Thorpe during the build-up to Tokyo, is no stranger to the University of Bath having coached youngsters on Team Bath Synchro Club summer camps at the Sports Training Village (STV). She is studying Sports Performance and has received a Goldsmith Scholarship as she also trains towards the World Championships.
Mechanical Engineering student Brooker, who will be supported by an Ivor Powell Scholarship, is part of the hugely-successful British Swimming National Centre Bath squad based at the STV and has been named on the 2021-22 Podium Potential programme. Coached by David McNulty, he reached both the 200m individual medley and 200m backstroke finals at this year’s Olympic Trials, and won seven medals in total at the recent BUCS and Swim England Winter National Short-Course championships.
Architecture fresher Sibbons is looking to build on a 2021 athletics campaign that saw her set a new personal best to reach the 100m semi-finals at the European U20 Championships in Estonia.
The Newham & Essex Beagles sprinter receives a Santander Scholarship, as does Health & Exercise Science student Hayden who is part of the British Rowing World-Class Start talent development programme at the University of Bath. She has previously represented GB as a junior in the Coupe de la Jeunesse and is trialling this winter with the aim of wearing the British vest again in 2022 at either the World or European U23 Championships.
The third Santander Scholarship recipient is first-year Sports Performance student Shipp, who made his senior GB judo debut at the Sarajevo European Open in September. The Bradley Stoke Judo Club competitor has previously won -60kg bronze in the National Championships, as well as titles in Denmark and Scotland.
Biomedical Sciences student Lane is a bowler for the Southern Vipers team which represents the South of England in national women’s cricket competition. Having also played for Hampshire Women and competed at the 2021 School Games, the Lewis Scholar is hoping to sign up for a team in The Hundred in 2022.
Trendell Scholar Sadler, who is in the second year of a Modern Languages (French and German) degree course, first took up fencing as a modern pentathlete and has gone from strength to strength since specialising in the sport. Welsh Senior Champion in 2020 and a U23 British Championships bronze-medallist, Sadler is a member of the senior GB squad and competed at last month’s World Cup in Estonia. Her 2022 goals are selection to represent Wales at the Senior Commonwealth Championships and GB at the World University Games.
Applications are now open for 2022-23 sporting scholarships, both for current and prospective University of Bath student-athletes. Visit teambath.com/scholarships for more information.
With thanks to the University of Bath Press Office at Matchtight