Academic course: PhD Computer Science
Hometown: Canterbury, UK
Nominated sport (and position if a team sport): Fencing
Best sporting achievement/personal best:
2nd place at the X-Systra Challenge.
Who is your inspiration or can you provide an inspiring quote?
Good results come from years of hard work.
Academic course: Computer Science with a year in industry
Hometown: Edinburgh, UK
Nominated sport (and position if a team sport): Wheelchair Fencing
Best sporting achievement/personal best:
Winning gold at the 2025 British Para Fencing National Championship in Cat B.
Who is your inspiration or can you provide an inspiring quote?
“I think there should be a rule that everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their lives.” -RJ Palacio
Academic course: Ecology and Conservation
Hometown: Bordeaux, France
Nominated sport (and position if a team sport): Fencing Women's 1st Team Captain
Best sporting achievement/personal best:
My best sporting achievement is being regional champion twice in a row in France. In the UK my personal achievement is to be in the top 40 in GB fencing intermediate ranking.
Who is your inspiration or can you provide an inspiring quote?
“The only person who can stop you in reaching your goals is you.” – Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
Academic course: PhD Mathematics
Hometown: Canterbury, UK
Nominated sport (and position if a team sport): Fencing (Sabre) Men's
Best sporting achievement/personal best:
7th place at the 2025 International X-Systra Challenge held at École Polytechnique in Paris
Who is your inspiration or can you provide an inspiring quote?
“Sometimes we all hear a little voice in our head that says, ‘not sure I can win today!’ If you ever hear that voice, go look in the mirror, tell it to shut up. Remember the only person who can beat you is you. Believe and you will achieve.” – James Williams, three-time GBR Fencing Olympian, one of my coaches that also passed my Level 1 coaching exam. Quoted from his funeral order of service in 2024.
Academic course: Biochemistry
Hometown: Harpenden, UK
Nominated sport (and position if a team sport): Fencing (Sabre) Men's 1s Anchor
Best sporting achievement/personal best:
My best sporting achievement has been placing 18th out of 60 competitors in the International X-Systra University challenge in Paris last year. While at the same event also anchoring a men’s Sabre team finishing in 8th place.
Who is your inspiration or can you provide an inspiring quote?
My fencing inspiration is Aron Szilagyi. He is always cool under pressure and able to produce some killer parries.
My favourite inspirational quote comes from the Super Bowl winning American Football coach Vince Lombardi who said “Winners never quit and Quitters never win.”
