We are thrilled to announce that talented athletes, Eloise Cole (Year 11) and Megan Barnicoat (Year 8), are recipients of the prestigious GLL Sport Foundation athlete award.

The swimmers are part of 16 athletes selected from Bedford Borough for the 2024 intake of its Sports Foundation.

The GLL Sport Foundation is an organisation operated by the Charitable Social Enterprise GLL to support talented athletes across the UK. Previous award holders include Olympic and Paralympic gold medallists Tom Daley and Ellie Simmonds.

The award programme, comprising financial bursaries, training and access memberships, physiotherapy, and more, will support Eloise and Megan in preparing for and participating in national and international competitions.

Eloise and Megan produced outstanding performances in the pool at the recent East Regional Championships. Eloise made the final in each of her eight events and claimed a phenomenal seven medals – two golds, four silvers, and a bronze. Megan, swimming in the 13-year-old age group, claimed a golden double in the long-distance events, winning both the 800m and 1500m freestyle. She won silver in the 400m freestyle and qualified for the 200m freestyle final, earning another silver.

Mrs Mason-McLeod (Director of Sport) reflected on these achievements: ““We are thrilled to share this incredible news about the outstanding achievements of two of our students, both in and out of the water. These individuals are integral members of our BGS Athlete Support Programme and serve as inspiring role models for their peers at BGS. The additional support provided by the GLL programme will enable them to continue striving for excellence. Congratulations to both of you, well done!”