A REMARKABLE 15-year-old Earlsdon athlete needs help so she can continue her incredible progress in water polo.
Amelie Perkins competes for the under-17 Great Britain water polo squad and made her debut at a European tournament in the Czech Republic last May.
Now Amelie and the rest of her team mates are training hard for the 2023 European Championships in July where they will compete against some of the best in the world.
Amelie’s family have already incurred considerable costs through her representing her country, including recent training camps in Barcelona and the Netherlands where she trained with and played against the Dutch national team.
Amelie is also a member of the Coventry Swimming Club, as well as the city’s water polo squad where she competes for the juniors and ladies’ teams.
And she plays for Cheltenham Water Polo Club in the ladies’ national league and represents the West Midlands in various age groups at national tournaments.
The young athlete and her family self-fund her training fees, travel and accommodation for tournaments locally, nationally and internationally.
Amelie’s dad Troy said: “I’m immensely proud of her, she’s very talented but puts in a lot of hard work and there’s a lot of commitment involved.
“Because water polo is a small sport a lot of these girls don’t get the recognition they deserve, but I’m sure there aren’t many people in Coventry who get to say they’ve represented their country.
“Despite Amelie being a couple of years younger than most of the squad, she is an important team member, playing centre forward – one of the most physically demanding positions.
“To achieve the things she has at such a young age is exceptional, her aspiration is to get to the top and we want to support her all the way with that.”
Troy has set up a Gofundme page for help with the costs, raising over £2,000 so far.
Visit gofundme.com/f/amelies-great-britain-water-polo-journey to donate.
