To rub shoulders with three British sporting heroes

best. SportsAid has been really useful for me – and I’m really looking forward to Paris (Olympics) in three years’ time.

“I have really high expectations for myself in terms of getting there and I’m looking forward to the challenge of seeing what I can do with SportsAid’s help.”

Dobson, who originally hails from Colchester, had the chance to mingle with the other SportsAid and Entain-supported athletes before listening to speeches from Grey-Thompson, Sbihi and Baker to cap a memorable two hours.

Grey-Thompson, who racked up a stunning 16 Paralympic medals between Seoul 1988 and Athens 2004, said: “Sport is so important to British society – not just medal success, but giving young people that chance to be the best that they can be.

“My career and so much of what

I did was based on the support I had from SportsAid, and it’s amazing to see that support going back to young athletes going forward.”

SportsAid alumni won a staggering 14 gold, 19 silver and 14 bronze medals for Team GB this summer while in the Paralympics, they claimed 26 gold, 33 silver and 35 bronzes as the revolutionary impact of the funding was showcased on the biggest sporting stage.

More than 400 athletes across Team GB and ParalympicsGB in Tokyo had previously benefited from SportsAid funding.

Baker, who scooped silver at Tokyo 2020 in the dressage, said: “I can remember receiving my first grant from SportsAid and it made a massive difference.

“Not just in a monetary sense, but it opens up a lot of doors and enables you to do things that you wouldn’t have been able to do without that money.”

Rower Sbihi, who added bronze in the men’s eight to his coxless four glory in Rio, said: “Having the support and confidence in me through SportsAid helped me bridge that gap to the next level.

“I was able to represent GB as a junior and 18 years later, here I am sat talking to the young athletes.” ■■Entain, owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, is proud to be championing the next generation of British sporting heroes by providing talented young athletes with financial support and personal development opportunities in partnership with SportsAid. To find out more, visit: