OLD BOYS’ FEATURES

Inspiring the Next Generation

Olympian Ed Launches Elite Athlete Programme

Water polo playing Olympian and Commonwealth Gold medal winner Dr Ed Scott (Class of 2006) helped to launch Bolton School’s Elite Athlete Programme.

as he was chosen for the England men’s seniors, ahead of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia where the team just missed out on a bronze medal.

After completing a Biomedical degree at the University of Leeds he took a year out to play water polo for Barcelona where he became one of the best goalkeepers in the Spanish league. After the 2012 Olympics and a second year in Barcelona, he returned to Leeds to complete his studies. He is now a doctor and anaesthetist; he emphasised how important it is for athletes to have a Plan B and to think about their next chapter.

Addressing an audience of elite athletes from the across the Foundation, Ed recapped his journey to the very top in water polo. He explained how, with the help of Dr Yates, Mr Jones and Mr Pledger, he found his sporting passion at School.

He recalled winning his first of three different age group national tournaments with the School’s U14 team and then, shortly afterwards, picking up his first England cap. He recounted how, in Year 12, the ‘stars seemed to align’

Ed advised the current crop of athletes to take up every opportunity to find out what they are good at; he himself had tried a number of activities at School, including football, archery and rock-climbing at School, with varying degrees of success until he found the niche position of goalkeeper in a niche sport, water polo! He also stressed the importance of good time management and prioritisation skills, noting that, at one point, he was juggling playing for five or six teams and keeping up with his studies! He did miss out on some social experiences–he was often in the pool at 6am – but in retrospect this was more than worth it as sport helped to shape who he is: an Olympian who has travelled the world.

Former CEO of Sport England and the LTA Returns

Former CEO of Sport England and the Lawn Tennis Association, Roger Draper (Class of 1988) returned to Bolton School earlier this year to speak to Boys’ Division’s A Level PE and Business Studies students and the Middle School Badminton Club.

Whilst joining in with the badminton session, Roger took a moment to reflect on his visit: “It’s actually been quite emotional. It has been 36 years since I was last here [… but] I have a lot of happy memories from that time – of playing football in the Cloisters and the Quad, the tuck shop and the Undercroft.”

After leaving Bolton School, Roger studied PE, Sports Science and Recreation Management at Loughborough University and was their first ever student to graduate with international honours in two sports: rugby league and tennis. Roger’s career has been involved in the global business of sport, seeing him become one of the youngest

CEOs in the UK business world when he took over as Chief Executive of the English Sports Council (Sport England) in 2002 aged 32. He now works as a Global Business Adviser for Boston Consulting Group, advising governments around the world on transformational change.