Bradford athletes make a stand for Sportsaid
Published on: 12th December 2011
Bradford's young ambassador athletes are proud of where they come from and hope their sporting achievements will put the district on the map.
They have posed outside the district's major landmarks both to promote awareness of their sporting prowess and also to demonstrate what a wonderful place they live in.
Their striking poses outside the iconic venues can now be spotted on Decaux advertising boards around Bradford city centre.
The striking venues in the posters include landmarks from right across the district.
The poster campaign has been mounted by SportsAid who, with support from Bradford Council, invest in the young athletes.
The SportsAid b active Sporting Excellence Programme is the award-winning partnership between the sports charity SportsAid and Bradford Council to provide recognition and support of the leading athletes in the area.
As well as receiving elite level sports science services, the athletes get a chance to raise their profile and this poster campaign is part of that drive to raise awareness.
The embassadors are Alana Walker, 19, from Allerton, a disabled athlete who is seen outside the Alhambra Theatre; Hannah Shenton, 18, a cyclist from Bingley, is seen in front of the Cow and Calk Rock at Ilkley; Rick Booth, 17, a canoiest from Bingley, is seen outside the Five Rise Locks at Bingley; Kieran young, 17, from Woodside, who competes in Taekwondo, is pictured outside Cartwright Hall; Bill Harding, 15, a cyclist from Birkenshaw, is pictured outside Salts Mill at Saltaire; Sam Thornton, 15, a diver from Shipley, is seen at Ilkley Lido, and the youngest is 13 year-old Serena Nash, a tennis player from Thackley, who is photographed outside the National Media Museum.
All the athletes on the programme have been nominated to SportsAid by the National Governing Body of their sport.
They have their blog spaces on the programme's website - www.sportsaidbactive.co.uk - which is a great chance for the public to follow their progress.
Coun Andrew Thornton, Executive member with responsibility for sport, said: "These athletes represent Bradford at the highest level in their chosen sports and it is a great opportunity to not only showcase their own talents but also the wonderful facets of our district."
Rob Clarke, Regional Development Manager for SportsAid, said: "We're really pleased with the ambassador posters and hope they will encourage the public to get behind these talented emerging athletes.
"These embassadors, along with the rest of the athletes on the programme, really are the sports stars of tomorrow and we hope the support they've received from SportsAid and Bradford Council will give them the boost they need to reach the very top of their chosen sports."
