BBC 1 News

Hello everybody! I’m finally back and updating my blog... I wanted to post a blog about the news piece I did for BBC 1 on 26th April. It was a piece that tied in well with my Evening Standard article about funding cuts and their consequent danger to the development of grass roots sports. Click on the link below and check out Adrian Warner's blog which features a video of the news clip:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adrianwarner/2010/04/why_do_2012_hopefuls_need_to_e.html
I was delighted to hear that it had been televised on BBC 1 numerous times throughout the day. I had no idea it would get so much coverage and I am grateful for that. It helps create awareness and encourage people to debate and acknowledge the issue. I know there are many athletes in the same position as me who are having to go down the private sponsorship road and so, it is uplifting to see my story out there for people to discuss.

I had great fun working alongside Adrian Warner (BBC London’s Olympics Correspondent) for the day. He was extremely supportive of fencing and is fed up of seeing mainstream sports such as football steal all the limelight. He seemed genuinely interested in reporting on fencing and backed up my non-elitist convictions regarding the sport... now there’s cause for another news piece! Pushing my luck? Yeah. Probably!

All in all, it was a positive day and experience. I feel heartened by the amount of support and generosity people have shown me over the last year or so, and I am once again particularly grateful to all of my sponsors. I will try hard to justify your faith in me over the next couple of years.

Also, thanks to Graham Watts (British Fencing’s performance director) who gave an excellent interview at short notice. I think it was important to have him there, and he made a positive difference to the feature. I know my dad’s cameo appearance was also appreciated by many!