Local News
Issue 1171
Call 0114 283 1100
24th June 2021
www.looklocal.org.uk
7
Golfers Complete 10 Round Challenge Marathon Two golfers at Stocksbridge Golf Club completed a marathon busting 10 rounds of golf in one day on Friday 18 June. Steven Haigh and Jamie South, pictured with Club Gents and Ladies Captains Alan Revill and Helen Moffett at the end of the event, completed the 180-hole challenge in just under 16 hours. They were raising money for the Captain's chosen charity, the Cardio-Thoracic Unit at the Northern General Hospital's Chesterman Wing. Alan chose this charity to fund raise for during his year of Captaincy because he underwent bypass surgery just over a decade ago. Alan has been so grateful for the care that he received that he even volunteered on the Unit for 7 years. This is not the first time the 10round challenge has been completed. Two years ago, Steven Haigh and Matt Sedgwick managed the feat to raise funds for St Luke's Hospice. Matt would have been repeating the event this time with Steven, but unfortunately his partner was diagnosed with Covid-19 four days before the start. Matt was very frustrated to have to quarantine, but Greenkeeper Jamie South willingly stood in for him at late notice. Matt has been instrumental in getting the challenge set up and getting a lot of the money donated so far from a variety of friends and family. All through
the day he was sending messages of support and encouragement.
Jamie and Steven set off at 4am and completed the challenge by 7.30 pm, running much of the course on every round. That was 2.5 hours quicker than when Matt and Steven undertook the challenge two years ago. The Captain said "if I had not witnessed it, I wouldn't have believed it. Not only did they do it, but Jamie even managed a birdie on the 180th hole." To complete the challenge the pair of them ran over 38 miles and apart from some very short refreshment breaks at the end of each round, they didn't stop for the whole challenge. That is apart from a couple of interviews for BBC Radio Sheffield, when Steven even carried on playing one handed so as not to lose any time. Both players were exhausted at the end of the 10 rounds but were extremely well supported by enthusiastic club members. Alan summed it up perfectly: "Stocksbridge is a small, friendly club and when events like this occur, the members pull together." So far, the event has raised close to £1400. If you would like to add to the sponsorship money raised so far, you can find a Just Giving Page on https://www.justgiving. com/crowdfunding/matthewsedgwick.
BASKETBALL ACADEMY TEAMS UP FORMER GB CAPTAIN Barnsley Sports Academy has teamed up with professional basketball player, Georgia Gayle, to develop its Basketball Academy. Georgia, who most recently played professionally in Spain, carries a wealth of experience after captaining the Great Britain national team, as well as studying in the USA on a basketball scholarship at The University of Central Florida and Northwest Florida State College. She will provide young basketball players with an excellent opportunity to combine education and basketball. Georgia said: “I have always aspired to become a basketball coach. Playing basketball for the majority of my life has given me so many opportunities and experiences that I realised I wanted to be able to give to others too. Barnsley College is a top college for education, which has always been a priority for me, and the high
calibre of sporting facilities really drew me in. So, when the job became available, I knew that it would be a great fit for me to pass on my knowledge and help to build a top basketball academy in the north of England. “I’m wanting to help develop students both on and off the court, and also to help grow the programme and eventually compete in the top school league. I want to see progression each year, in terms of winning games and increasing numbers at the academy. Another aim is to create a girls’ side to the academy in the coming years to help grow girls’ basketball in the area. My experiences of playing in different countries and for the Great British national team means I can pass on my knowledge to help the players get better every day.” Luke Forgione, Performance and Athlete Development Co-ordinator at the College, added: “We are extremely pleased that
Georgia has agreed to work with us. Her knowledge and expertise, as well as contacts in the UK and overseas, will create opportunities for our students who will be able to gain valuable experience and learn from her knowledge of the professional game, while gaining match day experience and regular support through College games.” Barnsley Sports Academy offers fantastic facilities and a team of expert and specialist coaches supporting talented sports performers in any discipline. Academies include Football, Esports, Rugby, Netball, Basketball, Refereeing and Individual Athlete Academy. For more information on Barnsley Sports Academy visit: www. barnsley.ac.uk/bsa For more information about our full and part-time courses, university-level courses and Apprenticeships in Sport visit: www. barnsley.ac.uk/sport
