ALT 🏆 SportsAid's One-to-Watch Award shortlist: Jack Long 🏆   Wheelchair basketball prodigy Jack Long is setting his sights on a Paralympic debut at LA 2028 after enjoying a stellar year.   Jack, 20, has really come into his own over the last 12 months, representing GB’s U23 squad in their undefeated success at the European Championships 2024, where he played a major role on and off the court. He has also thrived at club level, winning back-to-back BUCS titles with the University of Worcester, captaining the team to the 2024 title in Loughborough.   Jack’s remarkable achievements have led to him being shortlisted in the top 10 for SportsAid’s prestigious One-to-Watch Award.   PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING LINK FOR THE FULL STORY WITH JACK ▶️ https://sportsaid.org.uk/athletes/athlete-stories/jack-long-spot-has-helped-me-better-understand-my-autism

ALT 🏆 SportsAid's One-to-Watch Award shortlist: Lily Laughton 🏆 If Lily Laughton wanted an ideal mentor to help her achieve her Olympic dreams, it would be hard to imagine anyone more qualified than Carl Hester. Now 57, Hester returned from Paris this summer with a fourth successive trip to the podium, winning team dressage bronze in his record-equalling seventh Olympics. At just 20, Lily is a prodigious talent in dressage, part of the British Dressage U21 International Performance Pathway squad, while she has just come back from a year training and working at a yard in the Netherlands. While there, she was just down the road from another British Olympic medallist, Lottie Fry, but since coming back to England, she has been able to get insight from the legendary Hester as she looks to follow in his footsteps.

ALT 🏆 SportsAid's One-to-Watch Award shortlist: Erin Boothman 🏆 Erin Boothman: "A home Commonwealth games is a big goal for me" Cycling sensation Erin Boothman wants her rapid rise to coincide with the 2026 Commonwealth Games in her home city of Glasgow. The 17-year-old has been shortlisted in the top 10 for SportsAid’s prestigious One-to-Watch Award on the back of a banner year that saw her strike double gold at the UCI Junior World Championships. The annual Award, launched in 2006, recognises Britain’s brightest young sporting prospects and has previously been won by Olympic champions Tom Daley and Alex Yee and Paralympic gold medallist Hollie Arnold. The top 10 athletes have been selected from around 1,000 rising stars, supported by SportsAid, across more than 60 different sports in 2024. With track cycling confirmed as one of the sports set to feature in the slimmed-down Games on home soil, Erin is eyeing up a spot on Team Scotland.

ALT Everyone at SportsAid was deeply saddened by the news of Paul Dickenson's recent passing. Paul was a trustee of the charity for many years and also hosted the annual SportsBall for over a decade. Paul, one of the best-known voices in sport, became involved with SportsAid having been an award recipient in 1979 when he was in the thick of his hammer throwing career. He was fiercely loyal, hugely knowledgeable and always wonderful company. The charity wishes to send its deepest condolences to Paul's family and friends while thanking him for his incredible contribution towards supporting the next generation of British athletes.

ALT 🏆 SportsAid's One-to-Watch Award shortlist: Dan McLellan 🏆 Dan McLellan: "I want to captain England to World Cup glory" There are not many teenagers who can say they have played in a World Cup final, but Dan McLellan is not content with stopping there. The 15-year-old powerchair football star was part of the England squad that narrowly missed out on gold to France last year, as he continues to take the sport by storm. Dan was selected for the England development squad in April 2023 but has enjoyed a meteoric rise through the talent pathway since then, becoming the youngest-ever player to represent England in a major tournament. The Huntingdon native also clinched Champions Cup victory with his club Aspire and his talents have led to him being shortlisted in the top 10 for SportsAid’s prestigious One-to-Watch Award.

ALT 🏆 SportsAid's One-to-Watch Award shortlist: Iggy Rinaldi 🏆 Climbing sensation Iggy Rinaldi is on a mission to prove that height is not the be all and end all in her sport. Iggy, 15, is dominating at youth level and with back-to-back European titles already under her belt, she sits top of the pile in both the UK and European rankings. Her remarkable achievements have seen a lot of people stand up and take notice of her talent – leading to her being shortlisted in the top 10 for SportsAid’s prestigious One-to-Watch Award. The annual Award, launched in 2006, recognises Britain’s brightest young sporting prospects and has previously been won by Olympic champions Tom Daley and Alex Yee and Paralympic gold medallist Hollie Arnold. The top 10 athletes have been selected from around 1,000 rising stars, supported by SportsAid, across more than 60 different sports in 2024.

ALT 🏆 SportsAid's One-to-Watch Award shortlist: Irene Oboavwoduo 🏆 Irene Oboavwoduo is spearheading a sporting family dynasty that looks set to dominate across both sides of the Atlantic in years to come. Irene, 16, has quickly emerged as one of the country's top basketball prodigies after enjoying a stellar 2024, captaining England to U16 Four Nations gold and claiming the tournament’s MVP award in the process. Her impressive exploits have led to her being shortlisted in the top 10 for SportsAid’s prestigious One-to-Watch Award. The annual Award, launched in 2006, recognises Britain’s brightest young sporting prospects and has previously been won by Olympic champions Tom Daley and Alex Yee and Paralympic gold medallist Hollie Arnold. The top 10 athletes have been selected from around 1,000 rising stars, supported by SportsAid, across more than 60 different sports in 2024. However, Irene is not the only one in the Irene household pursuing athletic superstardom.

ALT 🏆 SportsAid's One-to-Watch Award shortlist: Sam Reardon 🏆 Sam Reardon is not an athlete who shies away from setting big targets and the double Olympic medallist believes his Paris exploits are just the start. The 21-year-old from Bromley watched the opening ceremony from home having initially missed out on a place in Team GB’s track and field squad following an injury-hit start to 2024. A blistering 44.7s at the London Athletics Meet showed what he was capable of and though it came too late to seal an individual spot, it put him at the forefront of the selectors’ minds for the relays when Charlie Carvell withdrew through injury. Over the following fortnight, Sam seized his opportunity to win bronze medals as part of the men’s and mixed 4x400m quartets – an achievement which, two months on, has not truly sunk in. The incredible exploits which unfolded during the summer have led to Sam being shortlisted in the top 10 for SportsAid’s prestigious One-to-Watch Award.