January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Youngsters get $60,000 to pursue their dreams
Budding sports stars to travel the globe to help improve their growing talents
The programme is funded by the Department of Youth, Sport, Recreation and the Environment as way to help give athletes a hand up in the competitive world of sports.
The Junior Elites will compete and travel across the globe, including: Germany, Mexico, Aruba, Bahamas, the U.K., St. Lucia, Canada, U.S., Trinidad, and Singapore.
The 11 Junior Elites were honoured at a ceremony yesterday at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess.
Here Don Burgess profiles the Junior Elites.
[[In-content Ad]]Paul Douglas
Sport: Football
Award: $4,400
Douglas, 12, attends Mount Saint Agnes. The footballer is described "as a very talented young athlete who loves the sport of football and is well on his way to becoming a role model for other young football players."
The coaches in the Bermuda Football Association's National Academy have stated that "he is perhaps the best young football player in his age group."
Over the next five years, Douglas intends to remain in the National Academy and play in the Super Y league in the United States as well as play international football for Bermuda's youth teams. He plans on attending trials in the United Kingdom and Europe.
The Junior Elite Athlete money will help him go to trials for West Ham United and will pay for all his transportation and accommodation costs as well as purchasing equipment.
Ryan Gunn
Sport: Triathlon
Award: $5,636
Gunn, 16, attends Warwick Academy.
The triathlete won five of the six major events he competed in this past year.
In May he won the Tokio Millenium Sprint Triathlon's Under-19 Male age group. July saw him take the Aon National Sprint Triathlon title.
Gunn also won the Under-20 male age group in both the Bank of Bermuda Sprint Triathlon and the 16 to 19 age group for the Rubis Energy Sprint Triathlon.
Not to be content to be challenged by Bermuda's best, Gunn finished sixth in the Elite Junior Division of the Apple Sprint Triathlon in Kelowna, British Columbia.
He intends to race on the World Cup circuit as well as qualify for the first ever Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010.
The money will go to help him compete at the World Championship qualifier in Mexico and the Pan American Invitational/National select triathlon camp.
Terryn Fray
Sport: Cricket
Award: $6,450
During the past five years Fray has represented Bermuda at both the junior and senior levels.
In 2007, while playing for Bermuda with the Under-19 national team in the Americas World Cup qualifier, he scored 199 against Argentina was was selected Man of the Match.
Two years ago he scored an even century in his Cup Match trial for the Under-19s against Somerset. later in 2008, he captained Bermuda's Under-19 squad in the Sir Garfield Sobers Tournament.
Last year he made his debut for the senior Bermuda national team when they played Uganda.
He was also selected as the Bermuda Cricket Board's 2009 Youth Player of the Year and was a finallist for the Bermuda Sun's Young Sports Personality of the Year.
Fray intends to be a regular fixture on Bermuda's national teams and help them qualify for the World Cup.
He will use the Junior Elite Athlete money to attend the Gary Palmer Cricket Academy.
JayLinn Hines
Sport: Equestrian
Award: $9,942.73
Hines, 14, attends Bermuda High School. She is described "as a dedicated young athlete who is committed to her sport and improving her skill level in her sport". Although she has been competing for only six years, Hines is already considered one of Bermuda's top female equestrians.
During the 2008-09 season, she was the top overall junior show jumper in the 3'0 to 3'6 category. She won the China Doll category.
Hines competed for Bermuda in Cayman and finished second in her age group and helped Bermuda to take second as well.
She was 12th in the Copa International in Ecuador out of 36.
Hines was a finalist for the Bermuda Sun's Young Sports Personality of the Year. She plans on representing Bermuda in the FEI World Jumping Challenge as well as complete the BEF's national coaching programme and award scheme.
Her Junior Elite Athlete money will help her attend a two week training and show jumping event in Munich, Germany.
Morgan Hopkins
Sport: Swimming
Award: $6,890
Hopkins, 16, attends Mercersburg Academy in the United States.
She is described "as a dedicated swimmer".
During the 2009 Carifta Games, Hopkins won two gold medals, one silver and a bronze.
She also helped Bermuda win bronze medals at the NatWest Island Games in Aland in the 4x50 freestyle relay and the 4x50 medley relay.
Hopkins has alread qualfied for CISC, the Junior Pan Pacific Championship and the Carifta Games.
She also plans on competing in the Youth World Championship, the FINA World Championship, the Commonwealth Games and secure an athletic scholarship at a U.S. university.
Her Junior Elite Athlete money will help her attend the Kevin Thorburn Training Camp and help pay for her to go compete at the Junior Pan Pacific Championship.
Dominique Mayho
Sport: Cycling
Award: $1,701
Mayho, 16, attends the Berkeley Institute.
Mayho is a success story in showing what can be done if we can get our youth involved in sports.
This was his first year of competitive cycling and "despite his age, he was able to match his athletic skills against some of the best senior cyclists in Bermuda."
He placed first in the junior category of the Sinclair Packwood Memorial Race. He was 12th in the Junior Cycling Championships in the time trials and eighth in the road race. He was the top male in the B Division of the Bermuda Grand Prix, winning stages one and three. He also won the overall B Division of the road racing series. Mayho was a finallist for the Bermuda Sun's Young Sports Personality of the Year. He intends on being selected for the Junior Caribbean Cycling Championships in 2010 and 11 as well as represnting Bermuda at the 2012-14 Elite Caribbean Cycling Championships and qualify for the 2014 CAC Games.
His money will go to cover his costs of events in Aruba, Canada and Tennessee.
Ryanne Bardgett
Sport: Hockey
Award: $2,611
Bardgett, 16, attends Saltus.
She is a member of the Swift's hockey team.
In 2006 she was the team captain and MVP.
In 2008 sheplayed for the Under-21 team in the Pan American Cup in Mexico. She won the MVP award for the match against Trinidad.
She plans on representing Bermuda in the Olympic Qualifier in Uruguay and the Junior Olympics in Singapore in 2010.
She would also like to represent Bermuda at the 2010 CAC Games, the Under-21 Pan American Cup in 2012 and the senior Pan American Cup in 2013.
The Junior Elite Athlete money will go to cover her costs to attend the Southgate Hockey Centre in Oakwood, London.
Kristin Saltus
Sport: Netball
Award: $2,022
Saltus, 15, attends Warwick Academy.
She has been actively involved in netball her entire life and has played the sport at primary, middle and senior high school levels.
She also plays for Warwick Workman's Club Pink Panthers and their Commercial League team Warwick Breakers.
She is a member of the Under-16 Bermuda national team that competed in Atlanta and Florida. During the Florida tournament, she was the team's captain.
She plans on representing Bermuda at both the Under-21 and senior national team levels. Saltus also plans on becoming a certified netball umpire and coach.
She hopes to land a netball scholarship at a leading netball college in the U.K. or the Caribbean.
The Junior Elite Athlete money will help her attend the 2010 Jean Pierre Netball Championship. The money will go towards airfare, accommodations and netball equipment.
Trey Simons
Sport: Track
Award: $6,250
Simons, 16, attends Saltus.
He has been one of the top junior runners at the primary, middle and high school levels. He has won the Front Street Mile at the primary and middle school age groups. He has won the cross country series at the Under10, -12, -14, and -17 levels.
Last year he won a silver and bronze medal at the Under-17 boys at the Carifta Games.
He is also qualified for the 2010 Carifta Games in the 1,500 and 5,000 metres.
He has been selected to represent Bermuda at the World Youth Olympic Games and plans on securing a track and field scholarship to a major university.
Simons is aiming to represent Bermuda at the 1016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Simons was a finalist for the Bermuda Sun's Young Sports Personality of the Year.
The Junior Elite Athlete money will help him attend four middle distance training camps and four overseas track meets with his coach.
Tyler Smith
Sport: Tennis
Award: $6,488
Smith, 13, attends the Sagemont Tennis School in the United States.
She is projected to be one of Bermuda's brightest stars of the future.
By the age of two, Smith was hitting tennis balls. By the time she was 10 she had won the Minute Maid and Coral Beach tournaments.
In 2008 she won the ITF Bermuda Junior Tournament, was runner-up in Barbados and was a semi-finallist in Costa Rica.
Last year she won ITF tournaments in both Panama and Barbados.
She is the number one ranked junior female in the Caribbean and Central American region.
Smith plans on becoming a professional tennis player.
Smith was a finalist for the Bermuda Sun's Young Sports Personality of the Year.
The Junior Elite Athlete money to attend the Bill Adams International tennis Academy and compete in four international tournaments, including ones in the Bahamas, Mexico and St. Lucia.
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