‘You can achieve great things if you have the right people and structures in place'

What attracted you to study at King’s?

I’m from Rhyl, a small town in North Wales. I planned to study in Wales. But the pandemic solidified my desire to explore more of the UK. And where better to start than London?

King’s has an amazing reputation for academic and research excellence. I thought it would be an interesting new chapter in my life.

What’s your favourite memory of King’s?

It was my time at KCL Tennis. I’ve played the game since I was a junior, and I see our sport as a vehicle to connect, inspire and improve lives. I didn’t have much hope for KCL Tennis when I came to King’s aged 18. But my sense of belonging and everything I love about King’s came from KCL Tennis. It became my home away from home.

What were your highlights?

In my second year, I delivered a wellbeing event with global tennis brand Wilson. I jokingly suggested we should invite US Open winner Emma Raducanu. In November 2022, I was in the Maughan Library and my phone rang. It was Wilson confirming her attendance. It was a real coup for KCL Tennis.

Another achievement I’m proud of is our Inclusive By Design vision for tennis at King’s. The aim was to provide every King’s student with the opportunity to enjoy their university experience through tennis. We had open days, expanded our recreational programme, created an LGBT+ tennis session and brought in staff tennis.

We became the largest sports club at King’s and made tennis more accessible. KCL Students’ Union named us Sports Club of the Year. We were also named British University and Colleges Sport University Club of the Year.

What’s the key lesson you learnt at King’s?

King’s showed me you can achieve great things if you have the right people and structures in place. KCL Tennis is a testament to that.

King’s also helped me ‘Control the controllables’ to make more informed choices, better understand what is in my control and which battles to fight. Finally, big picture thinking. King’s helped me navigate the role my work plays and how to bring about inclusive change.

You won our Emerging Leader Award for championing inclusivity in tennis. How did this begin?

Playing tennis has always been a huge part of my life. I started volunteering alongside this locally. I taught sessions in my primary school, worked with my mum to help prevent the council turning our courts into a BMX track and I was a founding member of Rhyl Tennis Club, where I actively volunteered as a Tennis Leader.

I then got involved in county and national level stuff. When I was 16, I won the LTA Young Person of the Year for Great Britain. To be recognised like that at Wimbledon in front of some of the biggest names in the sport and have the opportunity to meet HRH The Princess of Wales remains one of the happiest days of my life. That took it to a new level…

How did that take it a new level?

During the pandemic, the LTA Volunteering Manger, Alex Beaumont, suggested we work together to better support young people in tennis. I helped refresh and make the LTA Youth Tennis Leaders Programme more accessible. This supports future leaders in the sport and involves about 10,000 young people every year.

After this, I was encouraged to stand for an LTA Councillor position. I got it and, at 18, I was in a senior seat in British tennis and the youngest person to ever hold this position.

You also helped with the Queen’s Club Foundation Inclusive Player Pathway…

Towards the end of my degree, KCL Tennis was working closely with the Queen’s Club Foundation. Also around this time, a member of Queen’s Club wanted to donate a considerable amount of money towards a project to support under-served communities.

The donor was passionate about disability tennis and we discussed how there was no pathway for disabled players to rise through different levels of the game. We’re now working to create a pathway to support these players from grassroots all the way up to a professional level.

Can you tell me about your work with Pride in Tennis?

I sat on their board for two years and led several projects. The big one was the Pride in Tennis Cup, Great Britain’s first nation-wide LGBTQ+ tournament at Nottingham Tennis Centre. I had the opportunity to meet legendary player Billie Jean King, too.

Can you tell me about your work with the Youth Sport Trust?

I was asked to help them deliver a 12-month pilot project called The Unified Action: Diversifying Sports Governance Framework. This was created to help diversify and build inclusive cultures for young people in sporting national governing bodies. I worked with Golf England. It was an exciting project to be involved in.

What’s next for you?

I want to continue promoting sport and engaging under-served communities. And doing it in a way that improves the life chances of young people.

I don’t know what that future role looks like. It could be in tennis or in a different sport altogether. It could be in a university if I continue down the research route. I’m currently a Northern Ireland and North East Doctoral Training Partnership Scholar at the University of Durham. A political career may be another option.

Finally, what advice would you give to King’s alumni wanting to be change-makers?

You only regret the things you didn’t do. When I speak to people, that’s a consistent theme. If you have something you want to change in society, go for it. You can make an impact and make a difference to people. Also believe in yourself. If you don’t, no one else is going to.

Read more about the other winners of the 2025 King’s Distinguished Alumni Awards.