A spotlight on... Shona McCallin and Nekoda Smythe-Davis

Another week and so many more reasons to feel grateful for our incredible extended Mintridge team. Anyone who has been following our social media channels this week will have seen our involvement in Giving Tuesday Now and the Twelve Hours of Gratitude.

Our ambassadors and corporate partners have been so generous donating prizes and all of our followers and supporters have been equally as generous by buying tickets and bidding in auctions. We hope you all treated yourselves to something nice from Pretty Athletic, Denton’s and Iris & Violet with their Mintridge codes too!

We’re getting a little bit tired of seeing the phrase ‘at this difficult time’ but there’s no other way of putting it. At this difficult time, everyone’s support has been invaluable. Thank you.

Continuing our spotlight on our ambassadors, this week we’re homing in on two more inspiring women.

Shona McCallin

Who is Shona McCallin?

Shona is probably most well known for being one the Great Britain Hockey team who won Britain’s first ever Olympic Gold Medal for Hockey at the Rio Olympics. This historic moment was watched by over 9 million people on BBC 1. If anyone can give advice on holding your nerve under extreme pressure, it’s this lady!

Shona’s hockey career started at the age of 6 when her mum thought it would be a way for her to expel some energy. From there, she joined the junior section at Newark HC. From 14 years old, she focused purely on hockey, having previously played multiple sports and from then her evolution as a player began rapidly. From the English U16s, U18s and then as the captain of the England U21s, she gained a reputation as the driving force in the midfield. Now, at a senior international level, she lives and trains full-time with the England national team.

So, how does Shona McCallin inspire us?

Obviously, for someone to reach the ultimate dream of winning a gold medal at the Olympics takes a huge amount of work, focus and dedication. What is evident from her biography is that she credits many of her coaches for her success, right from her time training with Newark HC Head Coach, Christine Fergusson MBE, as a child. However, it was her dedication which got her to the stage that she is currently at.

When she goes into schools on our programmes, hearing her speak about her roller-coaster ride to success, how she has dealt with setbacks and challenges along the way is awe-inspiring. This includes her battle with concussion and her slow and frustrating 10-month rehabilitation. We’re inspired and the children even more so. It is such a valuable lesson for all aspects of their lives.

She’s also a fantastic supporter of The Mintridge Foundation and everything we do. This week, for example, she generously gave some incredible signed goodies for our auction which helped raise over £200.

And how do we inspire Shona McCallin?

Shona believes that sport is a great leveller. It doesn’t matter who you are, your background, your body shape or your financial situation, sport can help you be the best person you can be. For this reason, she loves being involved in what we do and being able to have an impact on young people from all walks of life.

Nekoda Smythe-Davis

Who is Nekoda Smythe-Davis?

Nekoda’s story is quite incredible. She played her part in the 2012 London Olympic Games, but not in the way you would expect. In fact, she was there voluntarily doing admin! However, this was an interesting turning point in her Judo career and gave her the Olympics bug.

At this time, she was a keen judoka herself and she was provided the rare opportunity to watch the best in the world, including when underdog, Gemma Gibbons, won Great Britain’s first Olympics judo medal for 12 years. We, at Mintridge, know the positive impact of meeting and being inspired successful sportspeople and this just highlights it even further!

Fast-forward 2 years to 2014 and Nekoda had won gold in her 57kg weight category at the Commonwealth Games. By four years after the London Olympics, she competed at the Rio Olympics. Approaching Tokyo 2020, she looked to be a genuine medal hope for Britain. Bring on Tokyo “021!

So, how does Nekoda Smythe-Davis inspire us?

At Alderbrook Primary School, on a Mintridge programme in 2019, Nekoda said to the pupils there, “If sport can change my life, it can change yours too!” This is something that we all believe at Mintridge HQ, whether that’s through reaching a professional level, meeting a new group of friends or helping you build confidence or manage your mental health.

At Hazel Leys Academy, she told the pupils there, “train hard, win easy.” Once again, a valuable lesson for young people as they approach exams and other challenges throughout their lives. She also spoke about manners, respect an integrity, all valuable lessons that can be learnt through sport but are so valuable in all aspects of life.

She is also a huge advocate of what we do and helps us to spread the word far and wide, such as during her interview on TalkSport last week. She has also kindly provided raffle and auction items this week.

And how do we inspire Nekoda Smythe-Davis?

With her sporting career to date, Nekoda has first-had experience of how sport can inspire people. Therefore, she is passionate about giving back with a real legacy. She loves the Mintridge family concept and the CPD element to help her life beyond Judo.