Badminton star Gail Emms proved to be a smash hit at the Bury St Edmunds SportsAid Lunch Club, held at the Suffolk Golf and Spa Hotel, with the event raising £1,200 for up and coming athletes.
The former Olympic silver medallist, Commonwealth Gold medallist and World Champion was the star guest and gave an inspirational talk. The club is sponsored by Abbeycroft Leisure, Insurance Risk Solutions Ltd and Lovewell Blake and was established in 2013 to raise money to support budding young sportsmen and women from Suffolk.
The money raised will help athletes like Larissa Sykes, Grace Sinnott and Rebecca Sherwin, who attended the event and have received support from SportsAid.
Larissa, from Haverhill, is a member of the England shooting team and has just been selected for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Grace, from Bury, is currently in the England Under 16 basketball squad preparing for the European Championships in July.
Rebecca, from Felixstowe, recently became the first British 13-year-old to break the 30-second barrier for the 50 metre backstroke. The next Lunch Club will take place on Friday, October 17, at the same venue, in Fornham St Genevieve.
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