European Junior Champion Tom Derbyshire makes the 2016 SportsAid one-to-watch shortlist.
Derbyshire has had a successful two years after making his international debut in 2015 at the European Games in Baku, then went on to win a trio of medals including gold at the Samoa Commonwealth Youth Games.
He continued his strong performances into 2016 as he became European Junior Champion in Hungary in the 1500m Freestyle
“I was very surprised to be nominated. To be considered for the award is amazing and makes the work you put in worthwhile. During the Olympics and Paralympics you could see so many athletes winning medals who had been supported by SportsAid and that really drives you on knowing what people have gone on to achieve."
- Tom Derbyshire
The annual award, set to be presented at the charity’s 40th anniversary SportsBall in London on 24 November, was launched in 2006 with six of the previous recipients competing for Great Britain across the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer.
Tom Daley received the charity’s very first One-to-Watch Award in 2006 when he was just 12 years old. Since then, fellow winners have included para-athlete Hollie Arnold, hockey player Harry Martin, sprinter Jodie Williams and heptathlete Morgan Lake. Last year’s victor was sailor Emma Wilson who won gold at the RS:X 2014 Youth World Windsurfing Championships.
The 2016 One-to-Watch Award shortlist includes two Youth Olympic champions, world and European title holders and a Paralympic bronze medallist (full biographies and quotes further down) with a wide range of national accolades between them all….
Tom Derbyshire, 18, from Stafford - swimming
Alex Yee, 18, from London - triathlon
Ashleigh Pittaway, 16 from Munich (lives in Bath) - skeleton
Bradly Sinden, 18, from Doncaster - taekwondo
Dan Whiteley, 18, from Bangor - sailing
Gregg Warburton, 19, from Leigh - wheelchair basketball
Harry Huang, 15, from Bedford - badminton
Kelsea Purchell, 18, from Exeter - bobsleigh
Madi Rowlands, 16, from Maidstone - skiing
Niamh Emerson, 17, from Alfreton - athletics
The 10 athletes shortlisted have been selected from 1,100 rising British stars supported by SportsAid across more than 60 different sports during 2016. Each year, athletes are nominated by their sport’s governing body on the strength of their talent and potential, demonstrating why the One-to-Watch Award has gained such a strong reputation for identifying the best up-and-coming prospects.
"The confidence and recognition [of winning the One-to-Watch Award] did a lot for me,” said Hollie, a gold medallist in the F46 javelin at the Paralympics this summer, who received the One-to-Watch Award back in 2008 aged 14. “Winning the award was for my family too for all their input and hard work. I couldn't have done without the SportsAid grant - it enabled me to buy javelins and equipment.”
The judging panel for the award is chaired by Sarah Winckless, a retired Olympic rower who won bronze in the double sculls in Athens in 2004, with representatives from Sport England, UK Sport, English Institute of Sport, the Press Association and the British Athletes Commission. Para-archer Danielle Brown, a double Paralympic gold medallist, joined the panel this year.
Skeet shooter Amber Hill was presented with the One-to-Watch Award by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, the Patron of SportsAid, in 2013. Over the years, many SportsAid alumni have returned to present the award including Matthew Pinsent, Steve Redgrave, Victoria Pendleton, Steve Backley, Ben Ainslie, Christine Ohuruogu, Max Whitlock and Kristian Thomas.