YOUNGSTERS named as the Gazette & Herald’s Stars of Tomorrow received a pep talk from Olympic star Tessa Sanderson last week.

Sanderson, who won gold in the javelin in Los Angeles in 1984, spoke via Skype to the audience at The Bear Hotel, Devizes last Thursday as they gathered to find out the results of our competition in association with the Bag4Sport Foundation.

First prizes of £500 went to Yasmin Kaashoek, 15, of Devizes Volleyball Club, figure skater Alicia Boyer, ten, from Lockeridge, pole vaulter Nikko Hunt, 16, from Marlborough and cyclist Lauren Booth, 13, from Chippenham.

Normally there would have been just one winner from each of the Gazette & Herald’s three edition areas but the judges found it too hard to split Boyer and Hunt.

Runner up prizes of £100 each went to Adam Bolwell, from Devizes Budo Club, BMX rider Jamie Philips and road cyclist Peter Kibble.

Boyer gets up at 5.30am most mornings to travel to Swindon to train on the ice before school and is then back again once classes finish. She also travels to Oxford to train with Oxford Figure Skating Club.

The Kennet Valley pupil will be competing against girls up to six years older in the British Championships later this year.

Pole vaulter Hunt, a pupil at Dauntsey School, is aiming for the World Youth Championships in Columbia in 2015 and also has his sights set on the 2020 Olympics.

He said: “Poles are incredibly expensive and you need to take six to each competition so this money will be very useful. I am very grateful to Bag4Sport.’’ Paracyclist Lauren Booth was a runner-up in last year’s Stars of Tomorrow competition and is aiming for the 2020 Paralympics.

Another competition was run with the Gazette & Herald’s sister paper, the Wiltshire Times and Bag4Sport director Andy Trusler said: “We are delighted to be able to support these talented youngsters.

“We know how much it costs their families to pay for kit, equipment and in travel costs.’’

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