Current Youth Athletes

Lewis Gibson and Lilah fear are Ice Dancers aiming for stardom representing the UK on a world-wide platform. The pair achieved European, World and Olympic qualifying scores in first season together and are hot tipped to have the potential to be the next Torvill and Dean. Lewis and Lilah compete all over the world and are aiming to make their first appearance representing Great Britain at the winter games in 2018 or 2022.

Nicole is an Alpine Skier, competing hard to pull up her rankings and make her dream of competing in a winter games come true. This season has been great for her with her rankings breaking the top 10 in all of her disciplines with a 4^th in the Slalom, 6^th in the Giant Slalom and 9^th in the Super G.

Scott Quin holds the Paralympian record for SB14 category 100m breaststroke and won the silver medal in this event at the Paralympic Games in Rio 2016. He is the reigning IPC European champion and is ranked 1st in the world in the same event. Scott holds the world's best time in SB14 200m breaststroke. He has committed to another 4 year cycle of training, focusing on securing his place at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

A champion kickboxer from Kilmarnock, Ben Stitt joins the Youth athlete programme, aged 12. 

After winning his first international competition in Athens in 2018, he is now working towards achieving his black belt, which represents the completion of his basic training and is considered the ultimate goal in martial arts. 

Kilmarnock’s only female motorbike racer has joined the Youth Athlete programme.

The funding and support from QTS will enable 19 year old Gillian to secure the training and equipment necessary to compete at both UK and international competitions, including a full set of personalised racing leathers and maintenance of her ZXR400 Kawasakibike.

Cody from Duddingston, has been boxing since the age of five. He will turn 11 this year and will be old enough to compete with Boxing Scotland, a goal he has been working for ever since he donned his first pair of gloves.

Inspired by Scottish professional boxer Josh Taylor after watching him in the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, Cody’s mum Denise decided to approach the local boxing club, Holyrood Boxing Gym.

Alongside his sporting aspirations, Cody is always thinking of his next fundraising challenge to support those less advantaged. In previous years, Cody’s Christmas Toybox, a charity event to give disadvantaged children Christmas presents, filled a boxing ring with £12,000 worth of toys and has received the support of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Jed, who has been playing tennis since the age of four, will turn 12 this year and is fast progressing towards his ultimate goal of playing professionally.

To maintain his fitness and technique, Jed trains four nights a week with the Regional Development team for Scotland, once a week at Strathgryffe Tennis Club, and has additional one-to-one training with coach John Howie.

Harry first took up cycling when he was just 10-years-old and began competing in cyclocross five years ago. Cyclocross involves a mixture of off-road terrains and obstacles designed to force riders to dismount, and even carry their bikes.

Since becoming a member of the Ayr Burners, Harry has topped the table at the CX North East England series, as well as consistently reaching the top five positions in races co-ordinated by the Scottish Cyclocross Association, including Cross at the Castle and The Bike Shed Bute.

Charlotte Payne is a 17 year old Hammer & Discus thrower from Thatcham, Newbury. 

As an athletic child, Charlotte tried her hand at a variety of sports before trialling discus and hammer throwing at the age of 10, following her brother’s involvement in the sport. She soon realised her natural talent when she began out throwing her brother three-years her senior.

However, it was only in 2013 that Charlotte began competing competitively and she has since racked up a huge number of achievements, including representing Great Britain earlier this year at the Halle Throws International, the biggest throwing competition in the world.

To remain at the top of her sport, Charlotte is currently training six times a week, including weights and technical sessions.

Adie Lock is a talented kickboxer from Stockport. 

The sponsorship will support the twelve-year-old as he prepares to embark on his dream of making the Olympic Kickboxing Team.

It will enable Adie to attend more international competitions, fighting experienced kickboxers from all over the world, as well as helping him compete for his black belt in November this year.

After being bullied at school, Adie’s mum Claire, took him to kickboxing classes when he was seven year’s old in a bid to build his confidence.  From the minute he started, it was clear he had a natural talent for the sport and within weeks he was moved up from beginners to the junior class.

He has now been competing for over five years, attending over 14 international and national tournaments winning numerous competitions and titles, including three gold medals in the Turkish Open and five in the Aberdeen Open this year.

To remain at the top of his age group, Adie now trains on average five to six days a week for three hours a night at Energize Martial Arts Academy Stockport under the instruction of Carl Thomas.

Joaquin and Javier Bello are Great British Beach Volleyball stars and twin brothers from Isleworth, West London. 

The sponsorship with QTS will support the 19-year-olds as they maintain their success as Great Britain’s number one beach volleyball team. 

It will enable the twins to continue competing internationally; they have played in 13 countries this year alone for World Tour and European and World underage championships.

Javier and Joaquin began their training at just six years old in their home country of Spain, inspired by their father, Luis Bello, a former professional volleyball player.

After moving to England at 10 years old, the brothers have gone on to prove themselves as two of the best players in the UK, winning the Youth Commonwealth Games and achieving England’s highest ever results in numerous competitions around the world, including a World Tour medal this August.

Alongside studying medicine and philosophy, politics and economics at university, Joaquin and Javier regularly train up to 18 hours a week and are determined to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Charlie Lane is a champion snowboarder from Steyning, West Sussex.

The sponsorship will support the 12-year-old as he embarks on a full-time, six-month training programme in the Austrian Alps in preparation for competing in the older age groups at top European and World events. It will enable Charlie to work with the best junior freestyle snowboarders and coaches as he continues to train six days a week, as well as allowing him to travel to competitions across Europe.

A keen skier from a young age, Charlie was just five years old when he first tried snowboarding on a family holiday, after watching his older brother Ben on the slopes.At the age of eight, Charlie began competing competitively and came second in the British Under 12s Boardercross event in Manchester, the first of many national competitions.

He started full-time coaching in January 2015 and moved to Zillertal Valley in Austria for three months with his team Why Ain’t You Jibbin, opening up the opportunity to compete in European events against other nations.