Eight young fencers have been matched with mentors as part of the second cohort of a British Fencing (BF) mentoring programme, in collaboration with The True Athlete Project.
The fencers and their mentors who were selected to take part in this unique programme are:
– Ian Ho Mentor: Fran Russell
– Eleanor Blackledge Mentor: Caitlin Chang
– Dario Stenbeck-Schiavo Mentor: Michael Cleary
– Ethan Hilton Mentor: Iuliana Maceseanu
– Megan Elliott Mentor: Phoebe Newton-Hughes
– Max Cromie Mentor: James Williams
– Noah Beautyman Mentor: Will Deary
– Abagael Black Mentor: Kat Smith-Taylor
They will work together for a year, with 1-1 mentoring sessions taking place every 1-2 weeks, including being guided through TAP’s pioneering, holistic development curriculum based on five themes: Performance, Identity & Values, Mindfulness, Community responsibility and Nature & Connectedness.
Mentees get the majority of their ‘training’ through the mentors, supplemented with some group workshops throughout the year, whilst the mentors receive an array of training in mentoring and communication skills; how to work with their mentee on the themes of the curriculum, and the key elements of the TAP approach and philosophy.
One of the mentees, Ethan Hilton, said, “I joined the TAP mentoring programme for the unique opportunity to further my development as an athlete. I’m really happy to be part of the programme and it is inspirational having a world class athlete as my mentor.”
Steve Kemp, Pathways Director at BF said, “It is often overlooked that all involved in this scheme learn and develop in so many ways, mentees, and mentors alike. The way The True Athlete Project’s support is wrapped around the mentees and mentors helps ensure the quality and success of the scheme. It is great to see previous mentees now becoming mentors themselves, building strength in the system for the future.”
Sam Parfitt, TAP’s CEO and founder said, “We are honoured to be able to provide another group of British fencers with this wonderful experience, where they get a specially selected mentor in their corner for a full year. The aim of the programme is to support the person behind the young athlete, and prove that when the person flourishes, so does their sporting performance. Last year we saw some wonderful relationships develop between mentors and mentees, and we are hugely excited to follow along with this year’s cohort”
Don’t miss the latest news. Subscribe to our weekly summary email, The Fencing Digest, featuring the previous week’s latest news and announcements. Sign up here.
Sign up to receive regular highlights from the exciting world of fencing - celebrating the best of our unique and inspiring community
