Two talented teenagers are leading the way in inspiring kids in Scotland.
Wishaw taekwondo kid Hayden McAvoy and Shotts sports enthusiast Heather Wright have been picked as Young Ambassadors by sportscotland.
That means the inspirational 17-year-olds will lead a host of conferences around the country to promote sport and healthy living to hundreds of youngsters.
Former St Aidan’s High pupil Hayden is hoping his success in sport will inspire other kids to get active.
He said: “I’m absolutely buzzing to have been picked as one of the new ambassadors.
“I’m the first from my school to be chosen so it’s pretty amazing. My old sports co-ordinators at St Aidan’s were all buzzing for me as well because they knew I wanted it so much.
“I’ve won Scottish and British titles in taekwondo, so hopefully I’ll be able to share that experience to inspire kids around the country.”
Having just left school, Hayden is now preparing to start a personal trainer course at New College Lanarkshire.
He added: “I’m hoping to work at NL Leisure as a personal trainer in the future. Hopefully this will help towards that goal too.”
Former Calderhead High pupil Heather is hoping to play a key role in the conferences, spreading the message that every child can make a difference in sport.
She said: “I hope to motivate other young ambassadors to promote sport in their community.”
After a rigorous recruitment process, Hayden and Heather were named among a 32-strong team across the country.
They will organise and deliver six conferences in total.
Athletes will also be there to share their experiences, with Commonwealth medallists such as diver James Heatly, triathlete Marc Austin and swimmer Robbie Renwick attending in recent years.
Stewart Harris, sportscotland chief executive, said: “Our Young Ambassadors conferences provide an excellent opportunity for pupils across the country who are passionate about sport to come together to make a difference.”
