15-year-old Alice Watson from Goodrich will chase high profile success in Manchester, when she competes in a prestigious multi-sport event for school-age athletes; the Sainsbury’s 2015 School Games.

The games will take part between September 3rd and 6th. As one of the 1,600 athletes taking part this year, Alice will represent Wales in fencing.

Alice, a pupil at John Kyrle High School, was selected for the Welsh team. Alice’s coach at the Herefordshire Fencing Club contacted Lyn Robinson, the team manager for Welsh Fencing. When Lyn saw what Alice could do, he signed her to the National team.

Alice first had a go at fencing when she was in primary school, during a residential school trip to Llangorse, when she was in year 6. She really enjoyed the sport, but didn’t join the Herefordshire Fencing Club until she was in secondary school.

Alice explained that her present coach for fencing came to John Kyrle High School when she was in year 7 or 8. “I just got into it that way,” Alice told the Ross Gazette. Fencing is not a part of the PE syllabus at John Kyrle, but Alice has access to the school’s facilities when she needs to practice.

In total, 12 sports, seven of which include disability disciplines, will be contested at the four-day spectacular which is supported by National Lottery funding from Sport England and delivered by the Youth Sport Trust.

Alice will be following in the footsteps of some of Britain’s biggest sporting stars including Paralympic champions Hannah Cockroft, Ellie Simmonds and Jonnie Peacock, world-record breaking swimmer Adam Peaty, heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, World Junior Champion heptathlete and high jumper Morgan Lake and sprinter Adam Gemili, who all competed at the School Games before going on to elite success with Team GB and ParalympicsGB.

At the event, Alice will experience the excitement of competing at the highest level. She will live within the Athletes’ Village, attend show-stopping opening and closing ceremonies and perform in front of a crowd of thousands at world class sports facilities in Manchester.

Alice said: “This is my first time at the Sainsbury’s School Games and I am very happy and proud to be representing Wales this year. I am really looking forward to fencing against some different competitors and the new experience of this competition.”

Alongside the competing athletes there will be 400 young volunteers bringing the Sainsbury’s 2015 School Games to life. Young reporters will be among the journalists reporting the action and many of the officials and coaches will also be young people.