“I started playing badminton when I was nine years old – I'd never heard of the sport before, but my PE teacher Miss Close was a badminton fanatic! We were taken to watch the All-England Badminton tournament (the world's oldest and most prestigious badminton tournament) and that inspired me to play the game myself. My school started an afterschool badminton club which further ignited my passion, leading me to enter and win some local tournaments. I was then scouted to play at county level and made it through trials to join the Warwickshire County squad.
“Since coming to BU, I’ve been able to play so much badminton which has made me feel more confident in my badminton ability and has pushed me to enter more tournaments.
“Having Martin Wells from SportBU coach me over the last 2 years, in addition to accessing the courts on campus has helped to get the most of badminton. A couple of years ago Martin offered me the chance to volunteer at badminton BUCS (British University and Colleges Sport), which turned out to be a brilliant opportunity. It allowed me to build some great contacts within Badminton England, so when I entered the 4-Nations competition, the Tournament Director knew me personally.
“Being able to play whilst studying at university has not only improved my overall game, but also my confidence. This in itself led me to entering more tournaments in 2024, resulting in winning two tier-four tournaments (one singles and one women’s doubles) as well as coming second in singles at a Dorset bronze tournament. I also went on to win all my singles games at the 4-Nations Graded Internationals and I came runner-up in the doubles event.
“Martin has encouraged me every step of the way – not only as my coach, but also as my mentor and has supported me throughout all my matches and tournaments. He’s also gone above and beyond to help with volunteering opportunities, which have helped me create excellent connections within the badminton world.
“Looking to the future, I hope to continue playing badminton to a high level, by entering more tournaments and representing Dorset County. It would also be fantastic to be able to play for the 4-Nations again so I hope I will be given that opportunity. It’s also my hope to have a positive impact on the sport by increasing participation. I have recently been in contact with sporty mind in regard to running some badminton sessions with them alongside the children’s coaching I do with Avanti badminton.”
Want to know more about our sports scholarships?
If you’re a high-performing athlete and on a regional, national or international sports programme, you can apply for one of our sports scholarships – designed to provide you with the funding to take your sporting abilities to the next level. Find out more about our scholarships.
Head to YouTube to hear how four of our sports scholars explain how their sports scholarships help them balance their university studies and their sporting aspirations.
