Aldi announces Rising Stars programme 2023 inductees with SportsAid
The UK’s fourth-largest supermarket, Aldi, has entered into the second year of its Rising Stars programme by announcing the 18 talented young stars receiving support in 2023.
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Each athlete on the programme, developed with SportsAid, is provided with funding to help towards costs such as travel, accommodation, equipment and nutrition. They also receive workshop sessions on a range of topics to help nurture athletes for their sporting endeavours and beyond.
This includes top tips on healthy eating and performance nutrition, restful sleep, managing mental wellbeing, social media training and making the most of opportunities working with the media.
In addition, the talented young athletes, who have been nominated to SportsAid by the governing bodies of their respective sports, play a key role in the promotion of the supermarket’s ‘Get Set to Eat Fresh’ programme, which aims to educate children on the importance of a healthy diet.
To date, this programme has reached over 2.2 million young people with a target to reach an extra one million children by the end of 2024.
Jemma Townsend, Marketing Director at Aldi UK, said: “We are proud to back British athletes, both through our partnerships with Team GB and ParalympicsGB to keep them fuelled for success and our Rising Stars programme with SportsAid to help nurture up-and-coming talent. We are thrilled to extend this programme to support even more Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls this year.”
Since 1976, SportsAid has supported tens of thousands of athletes, distributing over £50 million in awards and providing a platform for them to share their stories and inspire others.
The charity's extensive alumni stretches across the generations including Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Sir Mo Farah, Baroness Grey-Thompson, Dame Sarah Storey, Sir Steve Redgrave, Dame Katherine Grainger, Denise Lewis OBE - and more recently - Dame Laura Kenny, Tom Daley OBE, Ellie Simmonds OBE, Dina Asher-Smith and Adam Peaty OBE - all national sporting heroes and heroines.
Tim Lawler MBE, Chief Executive at SportsAid, said: “We’re excited about our partnership with Aldi. We share the ambition of recognising and helping young people and their families, and we understand the power of sport to connect and inspire people. Aldi’s continued commitment to the next generation through SportsAid – helping when and how it matters most – will make a difference for years to come.”
The partnership builds on Aldi’s existing work with Team GB and ParalympicsGB supporting Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes. SportsAid’s own impressive track record was highlighted at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympics where the charity’s alumni won an incredible haul of 141 medals. This included 47 of Team GB’s 65 medals and 94 of ParalympicsGB’s 124 medals.
Here is the list of Aldi’s athlete intake for 2023....
Eitan Aibi, 17, from Pudsey (Gymnastics)
Amunkelechi Bell, 18, from Manchester (Volleyball)
Aslyn Bland, 24, from Trowbridge (Skeleton)
Megan Costall, 19, from Newtown (Archery)
Samuel Cozens, 16, from Norwich (Para Skiing)
Kayli English, 21, from Bolton (Wheelchair Basketball)
Louise Flockhart, 18, from Sheffield (Climbing)
Kidiest Hodgson, 18, from Leeds (Swimming)
Jade Loughlin, 29, from Bristol (Wheelchair Basketball)
Henry Martin, 18, West Kingsdown (Fencing)
Daniel Mead, 14, from Cardiff (Para Table Tennis)
Charlie Medhurst, 18, from Birmingham (Archery)
Elliot Rowe, 16, from Banchory (Cycling)
Oliver Scott, 15, from Faversham (Para Triathlon)
Rebecca Scott, 17, from Hitchin (Para Athletics)
Daisy Taylor, 16, from Strathaven (Cycling)
Amy Thompson, 16, from Liverpool (Para Athletics)
Gracie Wilson, 16, from Hull (Judo)
Aldi is the Official Supermarket Partner of Team GB and ParalympicsGB and have partnered with Team GB since 2015, ParalympicsGB since 2022 and will be supporting them through to Paris 2024!
