Double delight as Sarah sails in

Double Olympic sailing champion Sarah Webb visits P&O Ferries on 1 April to meet young athletes the company sponsors in pursuit of their own Olympic and Paralympic dreams.

Sarah won gold in the Yngling class at the 2004 Olympic Games, with Shirley Robertson and Sarah Ayton - the squad famously tagged 'three blondes in a boat' by the media. She won gold again at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and got this year off to an award winning start with an OBE in the Honours List.

The sailing superstar's visit is to meet the five young Kent athletes sponsored by P&O Ferries under its Talented Athlete Programme.

Simon Johnson, sales and marketing director at P&O Ferries, said: "Sarah will hand over our 2009 sponsorship cheques of £3,000 each, plus some snappy new sports kit. But she’ll also give our young sports stars something that is absolutely priceless. She is able to offer a very serious insight into how she reached the top in emphatic style, and stayed there. That advice is very precious indeed and we appreciate her taking time out from her own very busy schedule.”

The squad sponsored under the P&O Ferries Talented Athlete Programme comprises:
Lewis Gray, 15, from Benenden (table tennis)
Hannah Moon, 18, from Deal (rowing)
Vicky Silk, 17, from Folkestone (athletics)
Chloe Martin, 18, from Tonbridge (sailing)
Nathan Milgate, 21, from Herne Bay (shooting.)

Each has been identified through their national coaching bodies as having outstanding potential. The Talented Athlete Programme is part of an on-going £250,000 sponsorship by P&O Ferries of the Kent County Council Sport, Leisure and Olympics Service. A range of initiatives aims to enhance the long-term development of sport in the community, capitalising on the momentum generated by the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

Contacts:
Chris Laming, Brian Rees, Michelle Ulyatt
Tel: +44(0)1304863833 (24 hours)
E-mail: communications@POferries.com