16 year-old Sophie Bailey from Morwenstowe received the OCS Young Sports
Person Award for the South West Region from celebrity sporting guest Beijing
Olympic Bronze Medallist Bryony Shaw at this year’s celebratory luncheon on 27
November at the Brit Oval in London. Sophie was delighted to receive her award
from Bryony. “She’s an inspiration to me,” said Sophie. “She’s done so well and it’s
great to see such a successful woman in my sport of windsurfing.”
Sophie Bailey (centre) with OCS Young Sports Person 2008 Awards Host Clare Balding
(left) and Olympic Bronze Medallist Bryony Shaw (right)

The awards event was hosted by TV presenter and sports journalist Clare Balding
and supported by a host of stars including cricketing legend Alec Stewart, top athlete
Ben Challenger and Beijing Gold Medallist kayaker Tim Brabants.

Summing up the star-studded event, OCS chief executive Chris Cracknell explained
that the Awards are recognition of outstanding potential and commitment. “OCS,
although a large international company, is still a family firm, and we pride ourselves
on a decade of searching out talented young athletes who could really benefit from a
boost in the early stages of their career. We believe this year’s winners, deserve
recognition for their commitment to their sport and their determination to succeed.
We hope these Awards will help them on their way to a podium place at the highest
level of competition.”

Sophie also received £2,000 in recognition of her outstanding sporting ability*
through the awards scheme which, in partnership with SportsAid, aims to give
financial assistance and encouragement to young British sporting talent. Windsurfer
Sophie was selected for an award from thousands of young sports people who were
identified and nominated to SportsAid by their sport’s National Governing Body.
truggling financially with the strain of training, travelling and competing, taking the pressure of SportsAid, the charity responsible for funding emerging sporting talent for over 30 years, supports in excess of 1,500 able bodied and disabled young sports people every year and is at the heart of the talented athlete sponsorship scheme (TASS).

Tim Lawler, Chief Executive of SportsAid, commented, “This is the first year
SportsAid is joining forces with OCS, a company already committed to funding
talented youngsters through the Young Sports Person Awards. We are delighted
that by working together we can offer even more awards to talented young athletes.”