Latest News: TEAM JAZZ ON THE MARCH

TEAM JAZZ ON THE MARCH

Basketball ace Harry “To the hoop” Turner has been in scintillating form over the last few weeks and has helped his school team, Shenley Brook End, make it to the last eight of the nationals.  The next match will take place sometime next week.

Harry is now gearing up for the Under-16 European Championships with the English Basketball team.  In the preliminary squad of 18 Harry is looking to make the final 12 that will travel across to Portugal in August for what is the biggest tournament in Europe at this level.   

Helen Glover was in the boat with 2008 Beijing Olympic medallist Katherine Grainger as over 300 crews competed at the Women's Head of the River Race on the Thames on the 7th March.  

Out of 300 crews, Helen’s boat came 3rd, which was a fantastic result considering the competition.  “It was a particularly good experience for me” comments Helen, “as I was invited to join a crew made up of 5 Olympic medallists and world champions. The crew that won was made-up of Dutch Olympians and 2 GB silver medallists so it was world class competition.”

Climbing prodigy Kitty Wallace cemented her place as the boulderer to beat this year as she won all five rounds of the Southern Indoor Bouldering League.

Bouldering, for those who don’t know their underclings from their offwidths, is a style of rock climbing.  It is typically practiced on large boulders or artificial, indoor walls.

Kitty is off to Fontainebleau at Easter to hone her bouldering skills in preparation for some big events.  Her next major competition is the Skymasters in Birmingham on the 28th March.

Lewis Courtier-Jones, one of Britain’s great sporting hopes for the future and a member of Team Jazz, took 1st place at the under 16’s at the Volcom Peanut Butter and Rail Jam in Meribel at the beginning of March.

The competition, a celebration of freestyle trickery, brings out the most creative elements in snowboarders and Lewis flourished.  Wowing the judges with a backside lip-slide and frontside 270 on the down rail, Lewis was crowned the best of the under 16s.  

Team Jazz’s Martin Morgan was in Ethiopia in February as part of the International “Dreams and Teams” Project.  

Martin and eight other youngsters travelled to the Dej Geresu Duki School in Wolisa, 120km south of capital city Addis Ababba.  They organised and executed a sports festival, after raising £900 for equipment.  Martin described it as a “life changing experience”