Silver for Oakley at Youth Olympics Lacey’s keen to join next generation
Oakley Banks helped Great Britain to silver at the European Youth Olympic Festival.
The 17-year-old from Rainham competed alongside Danny Crouch and Reuben Ward in the artistic gymnastics final in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia. Banks, who trains at the Pegasus Gymnastics Club in Maidstone, said: “It’s been amazing coming out to Slovakia, knowing what we had to do and seeing if we could to get a medal, so to win silver is just amazing. “This experience has been new for everyone and I think we’re going to keep getting better.”
Banks was unable to qualify to compete for an individual medal but finished 12th overall from a large group of top-class athletes numbering around 150 from 48 different countries.
“Just the fact that he was chosen to compete as one of the top-three gymnasts in the country is unbelievable,” said proud mum Trudy Banks.
“It was a team effort to win the medal and he played his part just as much as the others.”
Football
Talented goalkeeper Lacey Campbell says England Women’s Euro 2022 success has been a huge inspiration. Campbell, from Snodland, plays for Chatham-based all-female football academy XL@Football and this year attended the England Talent Pathway Camp.
She started at XL in the under-14s, an academy that is supported by Kent Reliance. Campbell, who has ADHD, imagines emulating this summer’s England stars. The under-18 keeper said: “XL@Football is a really positive and supportive place which feels like a family. XL provided me with real opportunities when others didn’t as I didn’t have any formal qualifications.
“I’m developing my skills on and off the pitch with football college. Watching the Lionesses play and bring home the win has been a huge inspiration.
“Seeing England goalie Mary Earps in action, especially in the final, was incredible and made me think ‘could that be me one day?’.”
For more on the academy see xlfootball.co.uk