Olympic silver medallist Nick Gillingham MBE presented a special SportsAid bursary to 16 year old Tiffany Collins from Norwich last week, at the latest SportsAid Norfolk lunch.
Tiffany is currently ranked third in the UK individual under-16 age group and has high hopes of building on an international career that has so far seen her competing in Australia and the Netherlands.
SportsAid Norfolk runs a programme of lunches to raise funds for selected young Norfolk sportspeople who have the potential to go on to national and international competition.
The aim is to help with their equipment and travel expenses, which they normally have to rely on their parents for.
Nick Gillingham spoke to the guests about the trials and tribulations of going from being a shy, schoolboy swimmer in Walsall to winning the silver medal at the Seoul Olympics in 1988 in the 200m breast stroke.
Previous SportsAid lunches have attracted a host of guest speakers, including GB javelin thrower Goldie Sayers, ex-England cricketers Chris Cowdrey and David Steele, ex-footballers Duncan McKenzie and Tony Cottee, Olympic gold medallist rower and Radio Five Live rowing correspondent Martin Cross, GB long jumper and bobsleigher Jenny Pacey and Norwich-based Observer columnist Will Buckley.
The next SportsAid lunch will beheld on Thursday, June 16 and any business wishing to take a table at the event can contact Rob Davies on 07709 366310.
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