Walid Saleh, originally from the Sudan, was only 14 when he had to have his right leg amputated after getting caught in the crossfire between fighting forces in 2013.

But now, after making his home in the UK, determined Walid is making his name as a track and field athlete, with the aid of a special running blade.

And along with working towards 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, Walid has also another ambition – to support other people who have lost a limb.

Walid remembers little from the day he was shot, other than the fact he woke up in hospital and had to be told he had lost a leg.

“I had never seen anyone who had lost an arm or a leg before, I thought I was the only amputee in the world,” he said.

The surgery left young Walid suffering from acute depression, with him not wanting to even leave the house.

“I stopped everything, I didn’t go to school, I just didn’t want to see anyone,” he said.

It was while looking at YouTube that Walid came across the man who would help change his life – British athlete and double amputee, Richard Whitehead MBE.

“I just went on to YouTube and put in the word amputee to see if there was anyone out there like me and I saw a video on Richard Whitehead,” said Walid.

“And I just thought he was amazing and I realised then I wanted to be like him.”

In 2015 Walid was able to come to the UK as a refugee, hardly able to speak English but with two ambitions – to become an athlete and to learn about prosthetics so he could help other people.

“A prosthetic limb should be made especially for you but the one I was given in the Sudan had belonged to someone else and was too big,” he said.

“It was attached with a waist band and a shoulder strap and really difficult to wear. It wasn’t until I got to the UK that I also realised that I hadn’t been walking properly so I had to learn to walk again.”

With running still very much on his mind, Walid applied to the Richard Whitehead Foundation which was set up to help disabled young people fulfill their aspirations.

Under its Nissan Possibilities Project, the Foundation wanted to help four young people with limb loss by funding running prosthetics – and Walid was lucky enough to be a recipient.

“It has made a massive difference to me, having a running blade,” he said.

Walid is a 100 metre sprinter currently training four days a week with his eye very much on the prize of the 2028 games.

He has also recently successfully completed his degree in prosthetics at the University of Salford and now has a number of job offers on the table.

Walid has also recently signed to sports agency, Athlete Media Group, which supports athletes from all disciplines in growing their personal brands and in raising awareness of the good causes they are passionate about.

“My life has changed so much but I feel now that I am very lucky and am ready to show other people who may have the same kind of injuries that you can achieve your dreams,” he said.

The 26-year-old, who started competing in triathlon back at University, is deaf and wears a cochlear implant, however he races without hearing a thing.

“Not everything is perfect as I have to adapt myself to fit into the ‘hearing’ environment. I don’t have enough time to put my cochlear on in transition, so I race without hearing a single thing. I just have to react to other races when the gun goes off and at times throughout the race.”

He races as part of British Triathlon’s Age Group team, which allows people to compete and qualify for major championships outside of the Elite athletes across all aspects of triathlon. The athlete, who is originally from Haslemere, Surrey has found a welcoming community, who try to support him as best they can.

“The Age-Group team has been wonderful.” He explained. “Every time I mention about my deafness people are interested in my story and are keen on helping me out, even the team managers go the extra mile to try and make me feel included. The number of incredible people, both from the UK and abroad, that I have met during my two European races is incredible.

“I can definitely say the community, the honesty and kindness of the people is what makes Age-Group races special.”

Madrid marked a second European race for Pritchard, who currently trains in Eastbourne, East Sussex, after he took home a bronze medal from the 2022 Europe Triathlon Championships Olsztyn. This time there was a lot to contend with as the race changed from a triathlon to a duathlon, which sees athletes complete a run, a cycle route and then a second run, rather than the normal swim, bike, run of a triathlon.

Then in the race, Pritchard had a tough battle with fellow Brit James Hodgson. He overcame that challenge and took home the gold medal.

He said: “The day before the race was very chaotic because we kept getting news that it will be a duathlon or that it’ll stay as a triathlon, one too many times. Within the last hour we got told it was a duathlon, I was pleased that this was the case because the water quality of the lake was very questionable, however I was a little disappointed because I signed up to do a triathlon, but we had to cope within the situation we were in.

“The race was a fast pace from the start, partly my own fault, as I didn’t want to go easy and have one big cycling pack. As a ‘lead’ pack we stayed together throughout the course, there was a few attacks by some individuals, but it didn’t take long for them to get swallowed back up by the pack.

“On the run it was an extremely tight battle between James Hodgson and I, to the point it was very tricky to know who was going to win, shoulder to shoulder all the way till the palace hill. This is where I thought I’ll increase my speed slightly and hope to drop James and to my luck I manage to, expecting that it would be a straight flat to the finish line, how wrong was I! I had to do an extra 500m passed the finish line before turning back on yourself to the finish line. Safe to say, I was hanging as I used up my tank at the hill and I was lucky that James didn’t overtake me.

“The feeling of running though the finish line first was incredible, it wasn’t because I’m officially an Age-Group European champion, it was more due to my journey to get to where I am today, the challenges I have to face every day due to my disability.”

Pritchard’s focus is now on building on his win in the European Deaf Athletics Championships in the 5000m and he hopes that in the near future he’ll be competing in a similar event for Triathlon.

He said: “I have a few local triathlon races during this season however I have some interesting and exciting news on the ‘deaf’ competition side of things.

“This year I will be going to Poland to compete in the European DEAF Athletics Championships, and I will be doing the 5000m. Then hopefully next year will be the first year the deaf federation will host a triathlon event and I plan to win a gold in that, I believe there is also a cycling race next year which I would like to take part in.

“In 2025 there will be a Deaflympics (Deaf Olympics) happening in Tokyo so all my focus will be going towards that and hopefully bring back a gold in whatever event I am doing.”

• Issa Batrane has teamed up with global marine conservation charity SEA LIFE TRUST as their latest ambassador
• Issa’s role will be about championing SEA LIFE TRUST and spreading the word about their vital conservation work

Global marine charity SEA LIFE TRUST has welcomed leading GB beach volleyball player Issa Batrane as its first athlete brand ambassador.

The charity, working globally to protect the world’s oceans and the amazing marine life that lives within them, has signed Issa following another successful Global Beach Clean, which sees hundreds of people around the world take part in ocean, waterway and land clean-ups on World Oceans Day each year (8^th June).

Now, by teaming up with influential ambassadors from around the world like Issa, the charity is striving to reach even more people than ever before with their vital conservation message and vision – of a world where our seas are healthy, protected and full of diverse life.

Issa Batrane is a full-time British beach volleyball player, who won both the Junior and Senior British Beach Volleyball Championships before the age of 22. Today, Issa plays alongside his team partner, Freddie Bialokoz, and, together, they hope to become the first British men’s team to qualify for the Olympic Games. This year’s sporting goals include the 2023 World Championships in Mexico, the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

However, it’s Issa’s passion for the ocean and beaches he plays on that has inspired him to step up as a voice for SEA LIFE TRUST, which he hopes to share as he competes around the world.

Issa Batrane, SEA LIFE TRUST ambassador, said:

“What a privilege to become an ambassador for the SEA LIFE TRUST and sit alongside such ocean-loving talent! 

“I’m delighted to be using my platform to support the fantastic work they do in protecting our world’s oceans. And I’m super excited to hear about the important findings from their Global Beach Clean.”

Graham McGrath, Managing Director of SEA LIFE TRUST, said:

“We are thrilled to have Issa on board as an ambassador. Issa will be able to help us share our vital message about ocean conservation as he travels the world as part of the British beach volleyball team.

“With the support of voices like Issa’s, we can continue to inspire others to do more for their oceans and the ecosystems within them.”

Alongside its annual beach clean, SEA LIFE TRUST works around the world to support practical local conservation projects to protect marine wildlife and their habitats, as well as working on conservation campaigns to effect long-lasting change on a global scale.

The charity also operates two marine wildlife sanctuaries; the world’s first Beluga Whale Sanctuary in Iceland and the Cornish Seal Sanctuary in Gweek, UK, which has been rescuing and rehabilitating sick and injured seal pups before releasing them back into the wild for more than 60 years.

Issa joins fellow ambassadors TV presenter Andy Torbet, marine biologist Sarah Roberts and model Jena Goldsack during an exciting time for the charity.

Twitter: @SeaLifeTrust

Instagram: @sealifetrust

Facebook: @SEALIFETrust

About SEA LIFE TRUST

SEA LIFE TRUST is a registered charity (no. 1175859) working globally to protect the world’s oceans and the amazing marine life that lives within them. Our vision is of a world where our seas are healthy, protected, and full of diverse life.  We own and operate marine wildlife sanctuaries, run inspiring conservation campaigns, and fund projects and education programmes that champion the need for plastic-free oceans, sustainable fishing, effective Marine Protected Areas, and an end to over-exploitation of marine life. www.sealifetrust.org

David Haze – who is in the running for a top award for his activism in this area – is to join forces with Olympic gold medal winning sailor Hannah Mills OBE, founder of the The Big Plastic Pledge.

And the 38-year-old, from Dorset, who is an eight-time World Record Stand Up Paddle Boarder, has made a pledge of his own – to continue and build on her work to rid rivers and oceans of plastic.

The Big Plastic Pledge was founded with the support of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) with the aim of uniting all Olympic and professional athletes around the globe to drive the changes needed.

Those who take the pledge sign up to make a minimum of three commitments, such as using refillable water bottles, coffee and beverage cups and reusable food containers, cutlery and straws.

Other pledges include refusing single-use plastic packaging and bags, encouraging sports clubs and events to find alternatives to single use plastic and making non-plastic event merchandise.

The Big Plastic Pledge already has the backing of a host of athlete ambassadors across a wide variety of sports and now David hopes to attract more to the cause and continue raising awareness of the issue.

David, who has been nominated for a Surfers Against Sewage activist of the year award, holds the record for the fastest crossings of the longest lakes in Great Britain.

He achieved a world first in 2022 when he circumnavigated the 70-mile Isle of Wight coastline with 100% carbon neutrality as every single item he carried, used or wore during his Great Green Paddle Project was either fully recycled, recyclable, eco or environmentally friendly.

“I saw at first hand during that challenge just how extensive the problem of single use plastic is,” he said.

“So, when I was approached to take a lead on this amazing project, I couldn’t wait to get involved.

“Hannah has done superb work at raising awareness of this issue but there is still a great deal to do and I am absolutely passionate and committed to taking the Big Plastic Pledge forward.”

The most successful female sailor in Olympic history, Hannah won a silver medal for Team GB with her crew Saskia Clark in the London 2012 Olympics and won gold in the same event at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She successfully retained her Olympic title with new partner, Eilidh McIntyre in Tokyo 2021.

She said: “I am still passionate about this issue but due to other commitments I felt it was only right to hand it over to someone with the same passion and determination to lead it forward.

“I am so pleased David has agreed to continue the work of the Big Plastic Pledge – I know the project couldn’t be in safer or more dedicated hands.”

For more information about the Big Plastic Pledge visit https://bigplasticpledge.com/about/                   

David Haze – named Ocean Activist of the Year by Surfers Against Sewage at its Plastic Free awards this month (16 June) – has joined forces with Devon-based SeaSurf.

And the 38-year-old, from Dorset, who is an eight-time World Record Stand Up Paddle Boarder, has pledged to help the fledgling business in its war against waste.

The brand was founded by Marc Astley and his partner Laura Bond who, following a chat about recycling with their children, discovered less than one per cent of the world’s clothes are recycled.

“It’s estimated that the average garment is worn only 10 times before disposal,” said Marc, a former journalist, “with around 350,000 tonnes of clothes, with an estimated value of £140m, going to landfill every year in the UK – so we launched SeaSurf to try and do something about that.”

The brand’s launch range features hoodies, shorts and t-shirts for men, women and children and every item is made from 100 percent organic cotton in factories powered by renewable energy.

Logos are all printed in the UK using eco-friendly water-based ink and once items have been outgrown or are no longer wanted they can be returned and recycled into new ones in exchange for an online store credit.

David, who holds the record for the fastest crossings of the longest lakes in Great Britain, achieved a world first in 2022 when he circumnavigated the 70-mile Isle of Wight coastline with 100% carbon neutrality.

Every single item he carried, used or wore during his Great Green Paddle Project was either fully recycled, recyclable, eco or environmentally friendly – which Marc believes makes him an ideal ambassador for SeaSurf.

“He’s a genuine person whose ideals completely align with ours and whose lifestyle reflects that of our customers,” he said.

“Our clothes are aimed at people who spend a lot of their leisure time at the beach, who need them to be good quality, durable and comfortable – and, like us, are concerned about the difference they and their families can make to the planet.”

David’s award win comes just weeks after he took the helm of The Big Plastic Pledge, which unites Olympic and professional athletes around the globe to drive the changes needed to remove plastic from oceans and waterways.

He said: It’s a great honour to be SeaSurf’s first ambassador. I share the same vision as Marc and I’m looking forward to being part of it all and growing with them on their journey.”

For more information visit www.seasurf.co.uk

For further information/interviews please contact Bernice Saltzer at Sorted PR on 07977 860183 or email bernice@sortedpr.com

PROTOUCH is a purpose-driven Sports Tech business that provides teams, clubs and federations with fan engagement strategies and digital solutions, to help engage their fans and enable new revenue streams. Leveraging the internationally-developed fan engagement platforms it represents in Africa, PROTOUCH uses its deep knowledge of activating fans – having spent 30 years in the rewards and loyalty industry – to devise and implement solutions that engage the African Athlete fan base for the sports industry.

Since 2019, sports agency AMG has been collaborating with athletes, partners and brands to understand, manage and build the personal brands of elite athletes, bringing their extraordinary stories to life, while creating meaningful commercial partnerships. AMG has supported more than 200 athletes – with a combined social media reach of 5m+ – securing over £1,3m in revenue for athletes and more than £5m in value from media and PR exposure, across 350+ campaigns.

AMG’s unique SPRINT framework draws on its years of experience working with some of the biggest global brands and elite athletes, some of the these include England Women’s Rugby captain, Marlie Packer; double Olympic Gold medallist, Hannah Mills OBE; leading British female triathlete Sophie Coldwell and professional boxers Isaac Chamberlain and Hannah Rankin. Its team of experts work closely with athletes to ensure they maximise their brand impact potential, not only during their time in sport, but also beyond.

The toughest challenge facing athletes is that of funding and this is particularly true in Africa. PROTOUCH understands this first hand, having supported twenty-six road cyclists from six African countries including five national champions and one African Continental Champion – as part of Africa’s #1 UCI Continental Cycling Team from 2019 – 2022. Over the past 18-months, PROTOUCH has been focussed on the development of the World’s first, fan-owned Athlete Impact Investment Platform – Podium Pursuit – which aims to provide a transparent and sustainable funding mechanism to further enable Athletes from Africa, supported by fans and brands globally.

“We have been assembling the Podium Pursuit ecosystem of more than 4 000 of Africa’s top performing athletes from fifty-four African Nations, across thirty-six sports codes. We plan to activate their 30-million fans globally, alongside brands in the lead up to Paris 2024 and beyond”, announced Rebecca Eliot, Founder of PROTOUCH AFRICA. “Our AMG partnership augments the planned Athlete value proposition by providing services to top performing athletes in need of personal brand, media and commercial support. Podium Pursuit has curated digital athlete profiles on its platform where athletes can connect with fans, promote sponsorships, aggregate their social media, upload pictures and videos to their gallery, as well as feature their rankings, notable results and achievements, set up and manage crowdfunding campaigns and access a range of benefits such as preferentially-priced offerings, to lower the cost of funding for athletes]”, Eliot added.

“I am very excited about this partnership with PROTOUCH as it gives us an important footprint into the fast-growing African sports market. It allows us to take our purpose-led proposition to a new continent of elite athletes and we look forward to helping to create, develop and grow the personal brands of these talented athletes by bringing their powerful sporting stories to life while creating meaningful connections with carefully curated brand partners to help raise their profiles, fund their journey and power their purpose” Mark Middlemas, CEO and Founder of AMG.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Rebecca Eliot

PROTOUCH AFRICA

Mobile: +27 83 656 4632

Email: Rebecca@protouch.africa

Mark Middlemass

AMG

Mobile: +44 795 230 4340

Email: mark@athletemedia.co.uk

World class athletes who have built their career on the water have come together in a special film as part of World Ocean Day (8th June).

The film – created by leading ocean, action & adventure film maker, Alice Callow – champions sportspeople who are “powered by purpose” – and has been released to coincide with World Oceans Day, to highlight the importance of protecting and preserving the oceans for future generations.

Among those appearing in the film are windsurfer Sarah Jackson, who hit the headlines earlier this year after revealing she had moved to Tenerife because of the UK’s over polluted waters, double Olympic Gold Medal sailor Hannah Mills, OBE and four times Paralympic sailor, Hannan Stodel.

“We are so, so fortunate to have this amazing playground, it’s so, so important to protect that,” said Hannah.

The film also points out the importance of removing plastic from the ocean and the impact on the fishing industry that pollution is having.

Mark Middlemas, CEO of AMG, hopes that the film will inspire people to think about the importance of the oceans in everyone’s lives.

“The majority of the athletes that appear in the film have achieved the success they have because of the oceans & rivers so they are extremely passionate about highlighting the need to protect and respect them,” he said.

“We thought that there was no better time to raise awareness than on World Oceans Day and we are very proud of the fact that all of these amazing sportsmen and women took the time to promote a cause that is so important to them.”

To view the video visit www.athletemedia.co.uk

Windsor-based Mallory Franklin is a British slalom canoeist who has a stack of international wins to her name, including taking silver at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020.

But the elite athlete has revealed her secret passion when not on the water – backing cakes and cookies which she shares with her family, friends and fellow sportspeople.

“I’ve always liked to bake but over the last five years it’s become something that I’ve just started to do more of and which I really enjoy,” said Mallory.

“I find it a really good way to get into a different headspace when I’ve been training or competing and they seem to go down very well – although I try not to eat to many of them myself!”

When not creating cupcakes, brownies and blondies – which are all particular favourites – Mallory is concentrating on her next round of competitions, which includes heading to the European Games in Krakow next month (June).

Always sporty, Mallory was just five years old when she first started canoeing, joining a local club and discovered her passion for the sport.

Since 2009 she has competed internationally, in both kayak and Canadian canoe classes, as well as the Extreme Canoe discipline.

She has taken the gold seven times in the European Championships and five times in the World Championships, along with numerous other silver and bronze medals over the years.

In 2022 she was named world champion in the Extreme K1, one of canoeing’s biggest challenges which combines all the white water disciplines.

Mallory’s determination and dedication will see her compete across the summer months in tournaments in Poland, Spain and Czechoslovakia.

“Canoeing is really big in Europe and particularly in the Eastern European countries where people have taken part for years,” she said.

“That’s why there’s a lot of competitions in these countries. In Slovakia it’s the national sport so there are a lot of people very dedicated to it.

“It’s a fantastic sport to be part of and one which I’ve loved to be involved with since I was tiny.”