Wakeboard World Champion says thank you to the local leisure centre who supported her…

At just 16 years of age, Darcey-Jane Williams from Bridgend  recently claimed first place title for Under 18’s for the Nautique WWA Wake Park World Championships 2023

Halo Sport Foundation, one of the UK’s largest independent athlete support programmes, has been actively sponsoring Bridgend County’s next generation of title-chasing athletes, with Darcey-Jane being one of the recipients selected for this valuable support. 

The Halo Sport Foundation began sponsoring Darcey-Jane at the age of thirteen, supporting her initially for snowboarding. However, she later shifted her focus to Wakeboarding, transferring her remarkable talent to that sport.

Wakeboarding, an exhilarating water sport, involves being fastened to a board and towed behind a motorboat at speeds of approximately 50 km per hour. It offers a sensation akin to riding an endless wave, making it an appealing choice for people of various age groups to enjoy.

Darcey-Jane Williams said “A massive Thank You to everyone at Halo Leisure and GLL Sport foundation for their continued support over the last few years. I have loved visiting my local fitness centres to relax, swim and train in the gym. This helps me focus my mind as well as my body. It is extremely important when competing at the highest levels to maintain fitness to help with recovering from crashes. I’ve no doubt that without access to the Halo Leisure centres, I wouldn’t have been able to maintain my fitness levels which drove me to success this summer as WWA U18’s World Wakeboarding Champion. 

If you do see me at your local centre please say hello as I love to chat and share experiences.”

Team GB Wakeboarding Team Captain, Dale Crossely said “Darcey Jane (DJ) Williams has been an asset to Team GB since she joined last year, from her dedication on and off the water to the support she offers fellow riders, we’re delighted to have such an ambitious athlete representing Great Britain, both at home and overseas. DJ made her debut for team GB at the 2022 European championships in Denmark she also represented at the world championships in Thailand. This year Darcey-Jane competed in the WWA wake park World championship in London and took the top spot on the podium!  We hope to see her competing internationally again in the near future with the support of her family and sponsors.”

The Halo Sport Foundation delivered by charitable social enterprise, Halo Leisure – operator of public leisure facilities in Bridgend County – helps aspiring sporting talent fulfil their potential. Supported athletes can benefit from FREE memberships at Halo’s sport and leisure facilities allowing them to train for free in Halo gyms, pools and group exercise classes.

“As a not for profit organisation and registered charity whose primary aim is to provide the local community with active leisure facilities, we see it as an opportunity to put something back into the community that has supported us so well, ” said Simon Gwynne, Halo Partnership Manager. “We are delighted to see Darcey-Jane Williams’ remarkable achievement in winning the first-place title, which reflects a significant accomplishment for both her and Halo Leisure.”

The Sport Foundation is currently supporting over 100 local sports people (able bodied and disabled) across a variety of sports including triathlon, swimming, shooting, gymnastics, para table tennis, judo, deaf rugby, rugby, waterpolo, netball, basketball, taekwondo, athletics, rowing, surfing, canoeing, squash, tennis and football. They use our gyms, group exercise classes, pools, racket sports courts and indoor and outdoor sports pitches to keep fit and prepare for their next competitive event. Applications are closed for this year and won’t reopen until December 2023.

Find out more at www.halosportfoundation.org.uk