Paralympic Sailor Helena Lucas supported by Charles Russell LLP

by Charles Russell LLP on 7 Oct 2010 The Paralympic sailing star, Helena Lucas, a member of the multi-medal winning Skandia Team GBR, represented the yachting world in a celebrity studded ‘Question of Sport’ on October 1st.

Helena, the only female entry at the Beijing Games in the 2.4mR discipline, achieved a top ten position against her male counterparts and is now well underway with a successful 2012 campaign for Weymouth and Portland.

The inspirational racer has been supported through her career by Charles Russell LLP’s sports law specialists and this next career step into a ‘Question of Sport’ saw her join a team of sports celebrities including fellow professional athletes and national presenters.

Helena was teamed with the likes of SKY Sports anchor for ‘Good Morning Sports Fans’, Mike Wedderburn, Chief Executive of Harlequins Rugby Team and former hooker for the Saracens, Mark Evans as well as Portsmouth Football Club’s Paralympic player, Alan Knight.

Portsmouth Grammar School (PGS), host to the sporting competition quiz, has a firm reputation for producing world class athletes over the years. Roger Black MBE, former World Champion and Games Silver medallist, is just one of the highly acclaimed stars to pass through the school’s doors into the world of international sports fame. Roger is now a television presenter, motivational speaker and conference host. His next challenge is to get Britain’s children fit for 2012 as part of ‘Roger Black’s Olympic Challenge’ through the BBC.

The celebrities were pitted against current pupils and teachers of PGS. The winner of the evening was too close to call as the to be expected competitiveness shone through in both the home team and the away team. Towards the end, however, the sporting knowledge of the celebrities dominated allowing them the win. The celebrities also kindly offered raffle prizes for the evening.

All money raised was for two worthy pursuits. Firstly for a school sports bursary, founded in memory of former PGS Director of Sport Neil Blewett, which is designed to assist the education of children who otherwise would not be able to benefit from this unique school’s offering and the established ‘Cambodia Fund’ which is essential in working to build a village school in a remote North Eastern province of Cambodia, ranked in the bottom 10% of the world’s poorest countries.

Helena donated an inspirational day’s sailing with herself at the 2012 venue, the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. Of the prize, Helena commented, 'It’s great to help inspire the next sporting generation whilst helping to support the charities benefiting from the sporting quiz. The winner, Tom, has sailed before so is super excited about our day out together which is great to see.'

Of the overall evening Helena said, 'It was a real treat to meet some of the UK’s top sporting celebrities in person, inspire some of the South Coast’s upcoming yachters who are students at Portsmouth Grammar School and help to raise funds that will be put to good use.

The bursary is essential in providing strong foundations for talented individuals to attend such a sports focussed high achieving school. Through my support from Charles Russell LLP I understand the importance of having this additional source of assistance which provides long term motivation and a source of constant benefit to an athlete’s career at any stage.'