Serving up success
(l/r): Rob Kendall, managing director at HB&O, Rhys Walker, and Phil Ewing, director at HB&O. |
A budding Olympian is aiming to serve up more success after landing a major sponsorship deal with a leading Midlands accountancy firm.
Nuneaton badminton star Rhys Walker has just secured financial support from Coventry and Leamington-based financial experts and chartered accountants Harrison Beale and Owen (HB&O).
The promising 16-year-old has been crowned national singles champion in his age group for three consecutive years, most recently taking the national under-17 singles champion title as well as representing England at international competitions.
He now hopes to build towards fulfilling his ambition of representing Great Britain at an Olympic Games and the donation from HB&O will go towards funding personal coaching and fitness costs.
Rhys is coached and mentored by Coventry-born Steve Butler, an ex-England international who has coached the senior national squad.
Walker, who attends Higham Lane School, said: “I was delighted when I heard HB&O had decided to sponsor me.
“We had been searching and searching for sponsorship, because the costs of competing add up with training, equipment, travel and so on.
“But we kept coming up against brick walls, so to finally make a breakthrough gave me a huge sense of relief.
“When you are searching for support and you keep coming up against resistance, it can make you start to doubt your own ability.
“But support like this really inspires me to carry on and become the best I can be and hopefully it will take me one step closer to achieving my goals and ambitions.”
Walker is also part of Team Coventry and Warwickshire, a project run by the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership for the 2012 Games, which aims to nurture the region’s aspiring sporting talent and support them through bursary funding and assisting with finding and pursuing opportunities to develop their talent.
Rob Kendall, managing director at HB&O, said: “We have a proud history of supporting local teams and talented sports people, so we are delighted to continue this tradition by offering our support to Rhys.
“There is no doubt he is a very talented young man and a great role model for youngsters in the area, so we are pleased to have been given the opportunity to help him advance his career.
“The commitment it takes to get to the level Rhys is at, and hopes to reach, is nothing short of astounding and it was that attitude and enthusiasm which prompted us to pledge our support.”
Sponsorship opportunities, to help the development of members of Team Coventry and Warwickshire, are available. For more information contact Will Bastin at the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership for the 2012 Games on 07545 440 783 or email will.bastin@cswp.co.uk.
For more information on Rhys or to keep up to date with his achievements visit www.rhyswalker.com
