I’m Tara and I am a Year 10 Sports Scholar at Blackheath High School.

I have been at Blackheath High School since Nursery and have had many opportunities to participate in a wide range of sports including netball, hockey, cricket and athletics. I have felt very supported and encouraged by the Director of Sport (Miss Morrell) to achieve my full potential and keep driving forward with sport.

My main sport is rowing, which I discovered last year following a taster session at school, but I also enjoy netball and rugby – in fact, I love almost all sports and have played tennis, swimming and diving at the Olympic Pool! I started playing netball in Year 3 at school, joined Beacons Netball club and have been doing it ever since. I go to weekly training sessions and often have league matches at the weekend. During rugby season, I train weekly and compete in matches. Earlier this season I got my first try for my team, leading to us winning that match.

I have only been rowing for a short time, but I have quickly progressed. In April this year, I went to the Junior Inter Regional Regatta in Nottingham where I competed in a final. Earlier this month, I won my first medal where I came third in the final at the Olympic race course at Eton Dorney. I am hoping to improve at rowing in the future and to compete at a high level and win some more medals.

Over the years, I have been lucky enough to meet some of my sporting heroes such as Tom Daley, Max Whitlock and Ellie Simmonds. One year I was presented with a Sports Award by former England Netball Coach, Tracy Neville and was lucky enough to sit on the same table as her which has been one of my highlights.

As a group, the Sports Scholars have an additional weekly training session where we do strength and conditioning sessions.

I really enjoy sport at Blackheath High as we compete in many matches and tournaments in many different sports. Being part of the GDST is an important part of our Sport Scholar journey, as it makes it more fun and enjoyable as we get to meet other Scholars from all over the GDST. Last year the Sports Scholars went to a GDST-wide event, where we met many famous athletes and had seminars and sessions learning about all different aspects of sport. Being a Sports Scholar at Blackheath High has really helped my passion in sport as it has taught me to be generally more determined and disciplined.

Written by Tara, Year 10, Sports Scholar