A student at Harrogate College is aiming for wheelchair fencing gold on the back of her debut for Great Britain at the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sport Federation‘s World Cup in Italy.

Emily Holder, 17, is already competing at the top tier in the UK having won a medal at the national championships. She balances her fencing with studies for a BTEC in business at Harrogate College, which she will finish this year.

Emily regularly travels to Milton Keynes for training sessions, so juggling her two workloads has been far from easy. She said:

“This course has been a good choice for me and in terms of the college being flexible to let me continue my fencing and training, it’s been really great.

“The staff have been very helpful and understanding. Although we haven’t been going to too many things, because of covid, when it has come to me having to take time to attend training and fencing competitions, they’ve been really good.”

Emily has cerebral palsy and her mobility varies depending on her chronic pain, spasticity (muscle tightness) and dystonic (involuntary muscle contraction) levels. She uses a crutch or an electric wheelchair but on good days can manage without.

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With little to no funding available, Emily’s family has supported her in buying the necessary equipment to compete, including £4,000 on a specialist wheelchair. Meanwhile, Emily also remains dedicated to her studies, and is looking to study business management or human resources at university next year.

Harrogate College business student Emily Holder

Tutors have praised her as a “fantastic role model”, while course leader David Gaunt said she was “very conscientious and always prioritises her grades”.

Emily, who lives in North Rigton, began fencing in 2013 after attending a disability sports festival before joining Harrogate Fencing Club. She now trains across the UK, from Milton Keynes to York to Durham.

To support or sponsor Emily, please email emilyholder43@yahoo.com.

For more information about wheelchair fencing click here.

Harrogate student Thomas Grattoni-May has been named as one of 100 global winners of a programme launched by Eric Schmidt, the billionaire former chief executive of Google, to identify exceptional young people who help others.

More than 50,000 15-17-year-olds entered the Rise Challenge, which aims to find young people with the potential to tackle the planet’s most pressing challenges.

Thomas’ ‘big idea’ was a global speech and language therapy app for stammerers who have limited access to support.

Thomas, 17, who is in Year 13 at Harrogate independent school Ashville College, has a stammer himself and has been a vocal advocate for the charity Action for Stammering Children. He hopes to bring together charities across the globe to share resources and expertise.

As a winner of the competition, Thomas will receive a lifetime of personalised support. This includes free tuition to any accredited university and a fully funded invitation to an annual three-week summit of winners. This is combined with access to careers advice, mentoring, and access to further funding in a package that could exceed $500,000 in value.

Thomas said:

“I’m feeling ecstatic, and really can’t quite comprehend what it means to be one of the 100 Global Rise winners. It’s just amazing.”

“I have met so many inspirational young people through this competition, and I am so proud and humbled to have been chosen as a winner alongside them.”

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Through his application, Thomas submitted 14 video responses to various challenges, and spent more than 50 hours developing his big idea. After being shortlisted in May, the 17-year-old participated in a series of gruelling interviews.

Steven Gauge, chief executive of Action for Stammering Children, of which Thomas is a youth panel member, said:

“Thomas is already a role model for younger stammerers, and this will increase his standing even further as it demonstrates that if you have a stammer there are no limits to what one can achieve.”

“We couldn’t be happier, or prouder of this achievement.”

Ashville College head Rhiannon Wilkinson said it was a “remarkable achievement”, adding:

“To be chosen as one of the Rise 100 Global Winners is a testament to his sheer determination not to let his stammer hold him back and, of course, his tremendous hard work and ability.”

Morgan Glazier, 18, is aiming to run an incredible 465 miles over 30 days this month.

The student from Rossett School, in Harrogate, is running in aid of the mental health charity MIND, after suffering with OCD for a number of years. He is hoping to improve his mental health during lockdown, through running, whilst raising money for a charity close to his heart.

To meet his 465 mile target, he will add an extra mile to the distance to correspond with the date. For example, on June 1 he ran one mile and then on June 2 he ran two miles, this will continue until June 30 when he will run 30 miles in a day.

His efforts will see him run the equivalent of a marathon or longer on each of the final days. Morgan hopes his run will highlight the positive effects that running can have on mental health. He said:

“Lockdown has been a bit tough and I haven’t been feeling great. I’ve always enjoyed long-distance running and I often use it to get away from everything. It’s a way for me to disconnect myself from negative thoughts and improve my mental wellbeing.”

The mental health charity, MIND, is close to Morgan’s heart. He hopes his running will bring awareness to positive mental wellbeing.

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• Mental health charity launches fundraising appeal to meet increased demand. 
• Harrogate race for life postponed until October. 

The mental health charity means a lot to Morgan and his family, who said:

“I am doing it in memory of my uncle, who died as a result of his mental health problems, and for everyone who suffers or has suffered with a mental illness.”

To sponsor Morgan, click here.