Two Garforth Community College students identified as potential sporting superstars of the future have won the chance to develop their talent in partnership with a hotel.
* Click here to sign up to free news and sport email alerts from Garforth Today.* Click here for latest Garforth and Swillington news.The Thorpe Park Hotel & Spa at Colton, launched a search, in association with Education Leeds, to find a promising young sportsperson whom it could help to improve.
But the task of picking a winner proved so difficult that the hotel's general manager, Gordon Jackson, ended up choosing three.
Two of those picked are Community College students Fiona Berry, 15, and Rachael Speight, 16.
They have each been awarded a year's membership to use the hotel's spa and gym facilities so that they can continue their sporting progress. The girls will also receive specialist training and expert nutritional guidance.
Footballer Fiona has played for Manchester United for four seasons and for the Leeds United Centre for Excellence for one season. She has also been selected to play for England's under-15 team in five international matches.
Rachael won the hockey National Shield 2007 with the Leeds Adel Carnegie team but has an even greater talent for athletics.
She is ranked 13th in the UK in the 300m sprint, and holds the all-time record at Leeds City Athletics Club for both under-17s and senior women. She has targeted the 2016 Olympics – and maybe even London 2012, if all goes well.
She said: "I am very excited at the prospect of having access to the excellent facilities at Thorpe Park Hotel & Spa, as my coach has told me that I need to do more conditioning and strength work in the gym. Living so close, I will be able to use the spa every day."
They will join Sam Parker, 15, a pupil at Temple Moor High School, Halton, who plays cricket, rugby, badminton and football for a number of clubs. His rugby coach called him "very professional, both on and off the field."
Thorpe Park Hotel manager Gordon Jackson said: "When we first agreed to the sponsorship initiative it was for one promising sports person, but when it came to choosing it was impossible to select just one. I decided the only choice was to make the sponsorship available to three talented young people."
Chris Edwards, chief executive of Education Leeds, said the organisation was committed to working with its partners to help all of the city's young people achieve their best.
"Leeds has a wealth of up-and-coming young sports men and women."
