Olympic Silver Medallist Fred Evans Inspires Next Generation
12th October 2012
The National Lottery has celebrated its investment in sport today by introducing Team GB Boxing ace, Fred Evans, to youngsters keen to follow in his footsteps at his club in Newport.
The London 2012 Olympic silver medallist joined young members of St.Joseph’s Boxing club where he gave a masterclass in the sport, inspiring the next generation of athletes.
Evans said, “I always love getting the opportunity to talk to youngsters about my sport and get them loving boxing as much as I do.
“The Olympics and Paralympics were so inspirational for the whole country and I’m all for giving kids the opportunity to get involved and ingrained in sport.”
Evans is one of 1,200 National Lottery funded elite athletes, which allows him to compete and train to the highest of international standards.
“Without National Lottery funding I wouldn’t be able to compete at the level I do,” he said.
St. Joseph’s Boxing Club has also received National Lottery funding from Sport Wales Community Chest fund, offering opportunities for more people to get involved and enjoy the sport.
The Community Chest fund is an annual grant encouraging more people to become more active more often and aims to raise the standard of existing activities, helping to continue the Olympic and Paralympic Games Legacy.
Sport Wales Chair, Professor Laura McAllister, said: “Thanks to National Lottery funding we’ve been able to invest in community sports clubs like St. Joseph’s. We want to continue to provide support and investment to enable grass roots clubs to grow. Through developing more opportunities for communities to participate in sport we will be creating a lasting legacy from this summer’s Games”
Resident boxing coach at St.Josephs, Tony Borg said: “Lottery funding has made a big impact to the development of our sport across the board. At our club we have benefitted from grants over the years which have helped us to improve facilities and get more people involved.
“This summer showed just how important sport is to the country and we’re keen to give those youngsters inspired from the Games the chance to get involved with boxing, whether as a hobby or in a competitive nature, we are always looking to improve facilities and get more youngsters involved and with help from lottery funding we can achieve this.”
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For more information please contact:
amelie.hawkins@fasttrackagency.com / 07768293480
For more information about Sport Wales Grants visit: www.sportwales.org.uk
Notes to editors
- National Lottery players have raised over £28 billion for Good Causes since the Lottery started in 1994. Over £6 billion of this has been invested in sport.
- Up to £2.2 billion of National Lottery funding has been invested in venues and the infrastructure of The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games – helping to make the Games possible.
- National Lottery funding enables 1200 elite UK athletes to benefit from world class coaching, facilities and medical support.
- National Lottery funding is also inspiring future generations by upgrading local sports clubs and facilities, and providing opportunities for thousands more people to enjoy sport.
- Sport Wales: Sport Wales is focused on the delivery of a lasting legacy for community sport beyond the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.