ES article

One of the most significant things that I have done in recent days was write an article for the Evening Standard about my fencing and funding. It was only a small article but important to me in terms of putting my story out there. For me, it marked a turning point. It allowed me the chance to reflect, and look back on the journey that I had undertaken just over a year ago. Now that I am fortunate enough to say that I have been successful in finding some private sponsorship, I can focus on my fencing and most importantly, on getting results. Some of the weight has been lifted, and I am looking forward to starting a new, more confident chapter.

I had hoped that the article would help other athletes in the same position as me, and I am glad that it sparked up some debate on the online edition. As a side-note, I train fairly regularly abroad, mostly in France and Poland, and I am able to see first-hand how well these countries' fencers are treated by their sponsors both public and private across all disciplines. I believe that if the will is there in GB, better funding can be achieved for all our potential Olympic athletes. After all, the youth of a country is its future. And we should invest in it more.

All of the comments regarding my article (good & bad) were much appreciated by the way. I was glad to see and hear that so many people had read it.

Many thanks to you all!

Claire.

P.S. Here is the link for it: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23763287-why-cant-funding-be-fairer-for-athletes-like-me.do