Hughes Insurance has announced that Chester Enriquez, a 14-year-old gymnast, is the eighth athlete to have been awarded a £500 bursary as part of an ongoing partnership with the Mary Peters Trust.
The Hughes Insurance and Mary Peters bursary, which is now in its second year, awards funding to ten young athletes from across Northern Ireland throughout 2022. The programme recognises young sporting talent across the province and provides essential funding to support them on their journey to realising their sporting potential.
Lady Mary Peters said: “Chester is an outstanding gymnast, with multiple national wins under his belt. His achievements at such a young age are a testament to his talent, hard work, and they give us a glimpse of the bright future he has in store. I hope that the bursary funding from Hughes Insurance will help to support him as he prepares for the British Championships and London Open in the new year.”
Chester who trains in Salto Club in Lisburn, specialises in artistic gymnastics such as floor, pommel, rings, vault, parallel-bars and the high bar. He holds the title of Under 14 British Vault Champion and remains unbeaten in England for vault this year.
In November, he competed in the Irish Championships placing first in floor, pommel, vault and parallel-bars, second on the high bar and third on rings. The bursary award follows national recognition from Gymnastics Ireland who recently named Chester as a recipient of their ‘Rising Star Award’.
14-year-old Chester was first introduced to gymnastics through his St Peter’s Nursery during a school trip to Salto gym where he was spotted by founder, gymnastic coach and MBE Tony Byrne. Tony who coached the British gymnastics team and seven successive NI Commonwealth Games teams saw Chester’s potential and encouraged him to train at the club.
Commenting on his bursary, he said: “It’s an honour to be selected as a bursary recipient by Mary Peters Trust and Hughes Insurance. From a young age I’ve been dedicated to gymnastics and train five days a week so I can be at the top of my game, gymnastics is a unique sport and I hope I can help grow its popularity and inspire others to try something new.
“Although my sporting journey has been tremendously rewarding and enjoyable, it has required a lot of hard work, discipline and the ability to motivate myself to continue to succeed. It’s great to have this recognised.”
Chester plans to use the bursary to help with travel costs for training and upcoming competitions to support his overall ambition of becoming an Olympian like Mary Peters.
Emma Haughian, Senior Marketing Manager at Hughes Insurance said: “We’re delighted to continue our partnership with Mary Peters Trust. Last year, the programme supported 10 very talented athletes and we are proud to do the same this year.
“Chester is a great example of the young talent we have in Northern Ireland and how important funding can be on their journey to reaching their full potential. We look forward to seeing him progress in his sport and wish him all the best in 2023.”
The Mary Peters Trust is the only province-wide organisation to provide support to young athletes from all recognised sports. Along with Hughes Insurance, it is also supported by Alchemy Technology Services, who this year became a podium partner to support the Trust’s activities throughout 2022/23.
To keep up with selected athletes follow @hughesinsurance on social media.
