AJ Rankin

My name is AJ Rankin and I am currently in my second year at Durham University studying Sport.

My main personal sporting interest is netball, in which I play for the Collingwood College first team and am also social secretary! I also enjoy badminton, rounders and aerobics! I have completed my bronze, silver and gold Duck of Edinburgh Awards, which were challenging but immensely rewarding!

I feel Sri Lanka will also be challenging but a life-changing experience. Providing sporting opportunities for the Sabaragamuwa University and the local village, Ihalagalagema as part of a team will be a valuable Project, making a positive difference to people’s lives. I also feel it will benefit our team and we will each gain many qualities, as well as important friendships.

Andy Guard

My name is Andy Guard and I am a third year finalist studying Sport Science.

My sporting interests include playing tennis, hockey, rugby, cricket and golf. However my main area of interest is football which I have played all my life and play for both the University and College teams. Coaching has also become a large part of football to me having spent three months in America developing my coaching with children aged three to eighteen. Other activities I have also engaged in recently include the Three Peaks Challenge as well as the Great North Run, both in 2008.

I want to go to Sri Lanka in 2009 primarily in the hope of bringing fun and a sense of togetherness through the use of sport to the particular community. Moreover applying my coaching to such a different cultural setting also provides a massive challenge, working with people of all ages to try to improve their sporting skills.

Emma Hannibal

My name is Emma Hannibal and I am a second year student studying Sport.

My personal sporting interests include netball, basketball, cheerleading and dancing. I do the first three of these at college level and really enjoy it. I have travelled to quite a few places but wish to experience more fascinating and stimulating destinations and Sri Lanka will be one of them. I want to go to Sri Lanka as I think it will be a humbling experience and will open my eyes to the way of other cultures.

Franky Westcombe

Hi, I’m Francois Westcombe (or Franky to some) and I’m a third year undergraduate studying BA Sport.

My personal sporting interests cover a range of sports. I have enjoyed playing hockey, rugby, tennis, cricket and fives in the past, but football is the only one I still play regularly. Despite this, I still follow all these professional sports with an aim to developing a career in elite sport injury rehabilitation/physiotherapy. I’m sure many people will be jealous of my dissertation on the effectiveness of the Nintendo Wii Fit as an alternative to traditional physical activity- results to be released soon!

I have been keen to participate in a humanitarian scheme for some time, and Project Sri Lanka provides a rare opportunity for me to learn a new culture, help and coach a community that is in need and gain valuable life skills and experiences.

Laura Baker

My name is Laura Baker and I am a first year student studying Sport. I have a spontaneous streak which reflects the vast range of sports that I enjoy; anything from the traditional to the extraordinary interest me.

Hockey is my main passion as I thrive for the thrill of the game. I also have a great love for rowing, which I began at Durham University; coming third in the Novice Cup Regatta and eleventh in my category in the Senate Cup Regatta. I am also attracted to the flare of unusual sports; skydiving, slack lining and being a PADI open water scuba diver, where the water captivates me. My sporting addiction doesn’t stop there, as I also enjoy the more traditional sports of squash, badminton and trampolining. I want to go to Sri Lanka to share my passion for sport with others, to widen my experiences and hopefully inspire the people of Sri Lanka to try something new!

Laura Spaven

Hi, my name is Laura Spaven and I’m a second year studying Sport.

At the moment I am playing netball for the university and have also played hockey for the North of England Assessment and Development Squad. I also enjoy tennis, rugby, cricket and football whether it is watching it or playing them in the garden with my brother! I also enjoy coaching and umpiring which I do for my college team at university. I want to go to Sri Lanka so that I can help communities in need and to have the opportunity to teach something I love in a beautiful country.

Louisa Holmes

My name is Louisa Holmes and I’m a second year sports student at Durham University.

My main sports are football and volleyball; however I enjoy most sporting activities. My biggest achievement is coaching athletes with disabilities in Beijing in summer 2008. I want to go to Sri Lanka because it will allow me to use coaching as a tool to help the local communities.

Sam Tennant

My name is Sam Tennant and I’m a first year sport student at Durham University.

My personal sporting interests are focused around football and cricket, with me holding the Devon record for youngest to hit a century in adult league cricket! My main reason for coming to Sri Lanka was to allow me to make such a difference through Sport, something that I have enjoyed for a large part of my life! I really enjoy water sports such as surfing and skimboarding in my spare time as I’m a pretty outgoing person, so Project Sri Lanka should be amazing!