Training Camp for the 2012 Olympics

Who? / What?

Hi my name is Julz Adeniran, Great Britain & England sprint hurdler and Olympic hopeful in the 110m Hurdles event. I'm searching for benefactors to help fund an essential Warm Weather Olympic Training Camp in Italy this April, which will form an integral part of my preparations for this summer's London 2012 Olympic Games. As an up and coming athlete in the early stages of my career, your contribution would also help to springboard long-term success, with podium performances at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and London's 2017 World Athletics Championships firmly in my sights.

Just last week I raced the current World Record Holder Dayron Robles at the prestigious Aviva Indoor Grand Prix in the N.I.A Birmingham, trailing him by just over 2 tenths of a second I produced my 5th Lifetime Best performance of the Indoor Season in as many fixtures. Having also won a Bronze medal at the most recent UK Championships a fortnight ago, with your help, a replica performance at June's UK Championships & Olympic Trials event would all but guarentee me of a place on Team GB for this summer's Olympic Games.  

MORE BACKGROUND INFORMATION: coverage of my mission was recently featured on Sportsvibe have a read here. Also feel free to play my recent BBC Radio interview and browse the gallery - both can be found at the foot of this page. 

Why is this training camp so necessary?

Having just completed a hugely successful Indoor season (ranking of 4th in UK 2012), there remains only 8 weeks until the commencing of the Outdoor competition season, 18 weeks until the UK Championship/Olympic Trials and 24 weeks until my event at the Games themselves. There are 3 places open and still up for grabs on the Olympic team for my event and having achieved a Bronze Medal at the most recent UK Indoor Championships a couple of weeks ago, I lie on the very cusp of qualifying for this once in a lifetime opportunity to represent Team GB at a home Olympic Games.

It's extremely important that I do absolutely everything I can to ensure that I have the best possible chance to fulfil this lifelong ambition. The opportunity to attend a purpose built Olympic Training Camp, which will be led by esteemed Olympic 110m Hurdler Tony Jarrett, for several weeks in the run-up to the Olympic trials would be of huge benefit to my chances of attaining the requisite level of performance and the qualification standard for the Games.

The significant physiological advantage to training in a warm climate will serve to improve the quality of this very important training phase, as will the fantastic on-site facilities hosting everything an athlete needs; including physiotherapy, full-board sports nutrition, through to strength & conditioning and recovery areas. The opportunity to benefit from a concentrated period of quality training, without the distractions of domestic life, will prove crucial in securing a place on the Olympic team; a place which will literally be won or lost by mere hundredths of a second! It is imperative that that I do everything in my power, leaving no stone unturned, to achieve success this summer in representing Team GB, which is why this Training Camp is so important.

What will your generosity go towards?

My sincerest thanks in advance to anyone who is able to help. Every contribution no matter how small or large plays an important role in helping me to take one step closer to London 2012 and beyond! I very much appreciate the foresight and faith shown by those who are able to support me, I'm extremely grateful for this and I am doing my utmost to prove that this belief is indeed well placed!

Every single penny raised will be used exclusively to fund this Olympic Training Camp. Specifically, flight costs, accommodation & full-board costs, training facility costs and travel costs. (N.B. I never personally profit or take salary from any sponsorship funds raised through www.sponsume.com or otherwise. It all goes directly towards covering training expenses).   

Why do I require funding?

In order to compete at the elite/Olympic level of my sport, it's requires one to entirely commit both physically and mentally to a strict training & competition regime, a full-time 'lifestyle' ladened with sacrifice. This consists of 6 hours of daily training/practice/study, combined with enforced recuperation and recovery strategies, 6 days a week for 48 weeks of the year. There is therefore not enough time available to maintain a full-time job alongside a dedicated training programme. This then presents a 'catch-22' in terms of one’s ability to fund the significant financial burden attributable to the many aspects of this strict training and competing regime, such as Olympic Training Camps, without a full-time job. It is this funding gap that I am attempting to fill, in the short-term, whilst in the early stages of my career. So that I am able to commit to the necessary training and give rise to the level of performance, within the next couple of years, that will enable me to be self-sufficient within the sport.

I was spotted/talent ID'd within my first year in the sport (2005) by my National Governing Body and was subsequently supported by lottery funding as a "2012 Olympic Hopeful" (Sunday Times, July 2005). However, my funding was withdrawn following a serious car accident in 2009 that left me injured and unable to compete, coupled with my reluctance to drop-out of my University Law Degree course half-way into it, as I was being pressured to do by powers that be. For two years, I battled back from these setbacks despite being dropped from funding and I am now the highest ranked athlete in the UK (4th) for my event not in receipt of government/lottery funding.

It is your contribution that will enable me to reap the benefits from an Olympic Training Camp and therefore give myself the best possible chance of success at the London 2012 Olympic Games.   

What's in it for you?

First and foremost, you're support will play an absolutely integral and tangible part in helping me to qualify for the London 2012 Olympic Games and beyond. And whilst I can't thank you enough for your generous contribution, I'd like to offer you a token of my appreciation. Please see the column to the right.                    

Thank you again for your kind help and continued support!

Julz

 

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