A Spotlight on… Asma Elbadawi & Evie Toombes

Whilst the whole world seems to have stopped, we have noticed for ourselves some of the difficulties we have faced from this new kind of normal, from finding a routine, to mastering the Zoom video call, to managing our mental health.

It has been reassuring for us to hear from many of our ambassadors that they have been experiencing similar problems including, for many, the changes to their goal, the Tokyo Olympics & Paralympics.

However, our ambassadors are the perfect people to look towards for some inspiration right now. Most of them have faced what seems like an impossible dream but have put in the work and effort to make it a reality… often with a few bumps along the way.

So, over the next few weeks, we are going to focus on some of our ambassadors, how they inspire us and how we, in turn, inspire them.

Both of the sportspeople we are focusing on today embody one of our aims of promoting sport for all. If you want to help us continue to harness the power of these positive sporting role models, please donate here.

Asma Elbadawi

Who?

Asma Elbadawi is a British Sudanese basketball player and global Adidas brand ambassador. As if that wasn’t enough, she also holds a BA (Hons) in Photography, Video and Digital Imaging and a Masters in Visual Art and she is a widely recognised spoken word poet.

So, how do they inspire us?

Well, the list of achievements above is fairly inspiring to begin with. However, what really inspires us about Asma is her passion for international development and female empowerment.

She was directly involved in the globally successful ‘FIBA Allow Hijab’ campaign which resulted in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) allowing Muslim women to wear the hijab in professional basketball.

Someone identifying and overcoming an injustice and being able to change the world because of it is such an inspiring message to share with the young people who we work with!

And how do we inspire them?

Asma is such an inspiration to young people through Mintridge. She recently delivered a programme at Sir Christopher Hatton Academy and has been holding remote video mentoring sessions with her mentee. She finds it so rewarding to work with her mentees on their goals and to share her experiences. Some of them have also written some poems for her too!

Evie Toombes

Who?

Evie Toombes is a Para Rider and Hidden Disability Ambassador who has been selected to represent Team GB with her horse, Daisy, for two years running.

So, how do they inspire us?

At Mintridge HQ, we love an inspirational motto and Evie has got one of the best, ‘find a way, not an excuse’! This incredible lady does not let her illness define her or hold her back. Thanks to this attitude, she has taken her love of riding from the age of 4 to reach her dream of becoming a Para Rider and Show Jumper.

Not only this, but Evie began visiting primary schools at the age of 12 to raise awareness for hidden illnesses and to share her incredible story. As well as this, Evie has published a book, ‘Lucy Goes To School’, which introduces the concept of hidden disabilities to younger children, with the ambition of having a copy in every school in the country.

And how do we inspire them?

Evie is due to deliver her first programme when we are able to get back into schools. She is also going to be doing an Insta takeover in the next couple of weeks to highlight hidden disabilities as well and she has loved the support that we have given her through Switch the Play.

Through her role as a Mintridge Ambassador, she was selected to be in the #Unlocked Women’s Sports Trust Campaign. This is a campaign which aims to unlock the value of women’s sport faster, with more impatience and greater ambition! We think Evie is the perfect advocate to spread that message!

If you have a young person at home who is struggling to find their motivation under the current circumstances, who you think would benefit from some mentoring from a Mintridge ambassador, get in touch. Our Paralympians, Olympians and professional sports stars are all ready to offer remote mentoring sessions in sport, confidence and lifestyle.