Meet our Talented Athletes

Tommy Vassilev- from Colne

16-year-old Tommy plays Rugby for Shevington Sharks ARLFC and hopes to one day play at a professional level of rugby. Being one of our Talented Athletes, Tommy aims to use his membership to use our multiple sites and take his training beyond the rugby pitch, to give him the best chance of making it to the top.

Noah plays rugby as part of the Wigan Warriors Futures Programme. The programme is aimed at aspiring Rugby League players in Year 10 and 11 who are not currently on Scholarship. The programme also includes several fixtures against Warrington Wolves and St Helens ETP programmes. This is a great opportunity for players to show their talents and give themselves a chance of making the step onto the performance pathway

Austen Coates - from Colne

Playing for Wigan Rugby League, Austen is another of our Talented Athletes who wishes to develop his training beyond his club sessions. He explains that he wants to "develop my performance and enjoy and excel in my sport, and to develop a career out of it." We want to support Austen in his goals and hope than an Activo membership will aid his physical training but also be used for leisure activities to relax a little too!

Jude Riddell - from Colne

 Another one of our aspiring athletes from Wigan Warriors Futures stars, Jude is 15 years old and his goal is to become a professional rugby player in the future. Like some of our other talented athletes, he is also trained by Ben Rowling at the club who supports him on achieving this goal.

At only 15 years old, Luca is talented and passionate about all racket sports, playing badminton for Lancashire U17s, as well as playing tennis for Burnley Men's team, and ranked 30 in Lancashire U16s! He tells us that is also pretty good at table tennis too but doesn't have the time to commit to this with badminton and tennis taking front runner positions. Luca is also working with Howard Green who is a tennis coach and founder of Super Movers, to improve his agility and fitness. He is excited about the prospect of an Activo Fitness membership to help build a strength and conditioning schedule into his current routine. 

From an early age, Lucie's ambition was to play football. Now at only 12 years old she is playing for 3 different football clubs, one being Lancashire's county club. Although football is Lucie's main passion, she is also talented in cross country, coming 1st in Pendle Cross Country last year and 4th in Lancashire. She knows how important fitness and strength is to keeping on top of her game in her sports and hopes to use the leisure facilities we have to get stronger overall and continue to reach her goals. 

Scarlett Lees - from Barrowford

Scarlett plays for Burnley Netball Club and also represents Lancashire in the sport. She has been playing netball for Burnley Netball Club since she was 5 years old. When she was 11, she started playing in the Hyndburn Netball League for a team run by her mum. This valuable experience of playing against women of all ages helped her to develop her game. Alongside playing in this league, she also started playing for Burnley Netball Club’s team in the Burnley Ladies Netball League - which she still continues to do today, as well as being team captain for her school, St Christopher’s Church of England in Accrington. When Scarlett was 12 and 13, she represented Lancashire in the under 13s category, playing her favourite positions of goal shooter and goal attack – and last October, at the age of 13, she successfully trialled for the under 15s for Lancashire. Playing her favourite sport most days of the week, the teenager also coaches the younger members of her club at Burnley, helping them to develop their skills, whilst working towards a Level One Award for England Netball. At school, she also helps the teachers coach the younger teams. Scarlett said: “I am extremely committed to my netball, having worked hard in all aspects of the sport. I am also dedicated to helping other players - both younger and the same age as me - to develop their own skills, and believe my commitment and own achievements help to encourage them to raise their own aspirations.”

Benjamin Cooper - from Higherford

Benjamin is an academy player at Blackpool Football Club. He also plays the sport for Lancashire and the England ISFA team for national schoolboys – having played for the under-14s and being selected for the under-15s squad this coming season. The 15-year-old, who wants to pursue a career in football, says playing at academy, county and national level is a real honour, and as fitness is vitally important to him, would love to complement his training closer to home using Pendle Leisure Trust’s facilities.

Fenn Turner – from Salterforth

Hamza is a rising star in rugby league. He began at the age of 8, playing for his local side Keighley Albion before being spotted by Wigan Warriors and beginning a scholarship with them whilst still making appearances for his local community team. He has also played for Wigan St. Patricks as well as try-outs for rugby union side Sale Sharks. He uses Pendle Leisure Trust facilities to continue to improve his strength, power and fitness as part of his quest to become a professional rugby league player. On top of his rugby commitments, he is also a talented footballer and basketball player

Proving that crown green bowling isn’t just for an older generation, Thomas has been bowling since 2014. In 2022, he won the County Junior Championships and he is the youngest bowler to represent the East Lancashire Federation at full national league level. He bowls at PWCGBA (Alkincoats Park), Foulridge Bowling Club and Cononley Bowling Club and in addition to wanting to bowl at an elite level, Tom is becoming a qualified coach and aims to be fully qualified as part of his career.

Hamza Asghar – from Nelson

Already a multiple-title winner in the world of Olympic wrestling, Hamza has been training since he was 6. A gold winner at the National Wrestling Competition in Sept 2022 he has now been selected for the GB Wrestling National Team! As part of the ‘Team GB Talent Squad’ Hamza has two elite training camp sessions a month but when back in Pendle we are delighted to be able to help Hamza continue his fitness and training – good luck with a glittering career Hamza!

In 2023, Hamza has now signed a 1 year athlete agreement with team GB and has recently been with the national training squad in Germany for 1 week. He also has competitions coming up in France, Finland, and Estonia. This year, Hamza has also won bronze in English and British junior's competition in the U15 category at the age of only 13! He tells us how that the Seedhill track has been vital in his speed work and agility while training. 

Amelia Redfearn - from Colne

Amelia is a competitive swimmer for Skipton Swimming Club. She started swimming for Colne Swimming Club when she was just seven years old. At the age of 10, she qualified to compete at the Yorkshire Championships. Since then, she has achieved North East Regional times. The 12-year-old has been representing Skipton Swimming Club for the last two years and is part of the competitive squad. She hopes to compete at the National Championships within the next two years – with an ambitious ultimate goal of competing in the Olympic Games. Her favourite stroke is Butterfly and 200m is her preferred distance. She has only swum 200m Butterfly twice - the first time she swam it competitively, she qualified for the Lancashire Championships and the Yorkshire Championships – which resulted in her qualifying for the North East Regional Championships! Amelia, who swims six times a week - even in the current climate – is ranked in the top 50 for 200m Butterfly in the UK for her age group.

Lucille runs for Barlick Fell Runners and has just received her first Lancashire Cross-Country Vest in her first year, therefore qualifying for county representation. Her aim is to continue representing Lancashire over the next few years and then when she is eligible, compete for an England Vest. Lucille is the current Lancashire U13’s Fell Champion; has just achieved a Bronze Medal in the Lancashire Cross-Country Championships and a Bronze Medal in the English Fell Running Championship Series last year, where she was the youngest in her age category. As a pupil at Skipton Girls’ High School, Lucille represents North Yorkshire at English Schools Cross-Country. She uses Seedhill Athletics Track in Nelson, for most of her training and the swimming pool at West Craven Sports Centre in Barnoldswick, for additional fitness training.

Robert Holmes - from Higherford

Robert represents Pendle Ski Club, Team Evolution Ski Racing and Team GB Under 21s Alpine Squad in Alpine Skiing. He has been a member of Pendle Ski Race Squad since the age of eight, where his passion for ski-racing started. He is now a member of Team GB Alpine Squad and in January 2020 represented Great Britain at the Winter Youth Olympics in Switzerland. During the winter months, Robert trains in Austria, but when he is at home, he regularly trains at Pendle Leisure Trust’s Seedhill Athletics and Fitness Centre in Nelson and Pendle Leisure Centre in Colne. The Trust has been supporting Robert on his path to skiing success for the last few years. He said: “The use of Pendle Leisure Trust’s fitness facilities has been crucial in my fitness, strength and conditioning training in the years leading up to my youth Olympic selection and continues to be so in my next level of skiing.”

Since Robert first joined the Talented Athletes Programme, he has now competed in the 2022 World Junior Championships in Canada and the 2023 World Junior Championships in Austria. He continues to use his Activo membership to train while at home and advocates for how important all-around fitness is to allow him to compete at a World level.

Charlotte Holmes - from Higherford

Charlotte represents Team GB Junior Alpine Squad in Alpine Ski Racing. Since 2020, she has acheived several skiing titles – U16 English and british Dryslope Champion; U16 English and British Indoor Champion; U14 British Overall Alpine Champion; Dryslope Ambassador; Team GB children’s athlete who has represented Great Britain in Slovenia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Charlotte’s goals were to follow her brother into FIS Ski Racing, whilst continuing to represent Great Britain. When Charlotte was 14-year-old she was given the role of Dryslope Ambassador by Snowsport England for being a role model and constantly taking time out from her busy training schedule to liaise with younger athletes, giving advice and guidance. Charlotte is based in Austria for most of the winter months, but when she is home, she uses Pendle Leisure Trust’s facilities to train. 

In 2023, she competed in the European Youth Olympic Games, a great achievement for her and her goals!

Harvey Pennington – from Colne

Harvey is a member of Skipton Swimming Club. He gained Yorkshire County qualifying times at the age of 10, which made him eligible to be selected to join the competitive swimming squad and development pathway. He continued to develop in three strokes – freestyle, back and fly – competing in a variety of distances from 50m to 400m – and quickly progressing from county championships to qualifying for the North Eastern Regional Championships in all three strokes. But last year was Harvey’s most successful year, where he was ranked 14th in England for the 100m freestyle event and invited to compete at the English National Championships. He also played an integral part in the club’s 14-16 years boys’ team, qualifying for the 400m and 800m freestyle and medley teams at the British Swimming Championships. He said: “I look forward to being ranked high nationally again this year and once again being invited to compete at the 2020 Summer English National Swimming Championships.”

Madison Turner - from Salterforth

Madison is a member of Skipton Swimming Club. In 2015, after just one swimming competition for her local club, she was offered a place on the squad. In 2018, she achieved a top ranking to gain a place at English Nationals and in 2019 she gained three top 20 ranking places in Great Britain, which gained her qualification and entry into the British Championships. Over the last 5 years, Madison has broken and holds many club records for her age group and also the open age group, as well as winning numerous medals at the County Championships. The 15-year-old, who currently ranks 14th in Great Britain for the 100m backstroke and 21st for the 50m backstroke, is busy training for qualification and entry into the British Championships in April this year. She said: “This is dubbed the Olympic Qualifier - where swimmers compete for times that will gain them entry to the squad going to Tokyo 2020. While I’m not at Olympic level, it will be an amazing experience to travel to London and swim in the Aquatics Centre that was home to the 2012 London Games.”

Jack Villiers – from Earby

Jack is a member of Clayton-le-Moors Harriers. The 15-year-old started running four years ago and in this time he has represented Pendle in the Lancashire Schools Cross-Country Championships for the last four years and qualified twice to represent Lancashire in the English Schools Cross-Country Finals. Jack has earned three Lancashire Vests to represent his county, twice at cross-country and once at fell running last year, where he helped the team win bronze in the Junior Inter-Counties Fell Running Championships. He said: “I would love to become the Lancashire Fell Champion at Pendle Hill in April, after finishing second for the last three years. This would then see me qualify to run for Lancashire again in the Junior Inter-Counties Fell Running Championships, where I'd like to help the team medal again, hopefully improving on the bronze we won last year. “Ultimately, I want to qualify to represent England and run for my country in the Junior Home Internationals in Northern Ireland in September. Having access to Pendle Leisure Trust’s facilities will boost my training and help me to achieve my goals!”

Lois Page - from Nelson

Lois plays for the Under 16s Lancashire School Girls County Football Team. She has been playing for the past seven years for a variety of teams and now plays in goal for Lancashire. Her aim is to eventually play professionally, as well as coach professional teams. Lois has already coached younger year teams in her school and volunteered at holiday clubs run by Pendle Leisure Trust’s Up and Active Team. The 15-year-old has won numerous awards for her coaching and playing – with her proudest achievement winning a prize of a week playing and coaching at a college in America from the Youth Sport Trust. Off the back of this trip, Lois is now a Young Event Host and travels the country giving inspirational and motivating speeches, as well as hosting national and regional events. The talented athlete also plays hockey for Pendle Forest Women’s Team in the North Premier League.