Newport archer Penny sets her sights on BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year title
A talented young archer from Shropshire has said she is honoured to be on a shortlist of three for a prestigious sporting prize.
Penny Healey, who is 18 and from Newport, has a shot at the title of BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2023.
The Shropshire archer is on a shortlist of three for the prestigious prize.
Penny, a former pupil at Idsall School, is a member of Audco Archers in Newport and has already made her mark on the world stage.
Her big move to senior competitions didn’t faze her – in fact she thrived on the pressure.
Penny was the youngest competitor in an 11-strong squad that went to Antalya in Turkey for a World Cup competition – and then promptly won it.
She spent the majority of the year ranked world number one and demonstrated her incredible talent by winning a huge number of competitions along the way.
Penny also achieved gold at the European Grand Prix and the European Games in Krakow, in both individual and team events, solidifying her status as rising star.
She’s also qualified in a quota place for British Archery at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
On being shortlisted for the BBC award, Penny said: “I feel really honoured. It’s been a great year and being nominated for this award on top of that makes it even better.”
Another of the nominees is Mia Brookes, 16, who lives across the Shropshire border in Sandbach, Cheshire. She has become the youngest ever Snowboard World Champion at the Bakuriani Freestyle World Championships and the first female snowboarder to land a Cab 1440 in a competition.
The final nominee is Charlie McIntyre, 18, from Essex, who has had a fantastic year representing both GB and his club, London Titans in wheelchair basketball. Representing GB U22 at a Home Nations competition, Charlie led the team to three undefeated victories.
The top three contenders were chosen by a judging panel made up of former Young Sports Personality of the Year winners Theo Walcott, Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey.
Diver Sirieix, a former Young Sports Personality of the Year winner in 2020 and panellist this year, said: “It is incredible to see these athletes shining and dominating the senior field.
“At their age, to be able to handle that kind of pressure and bring back medals and titles is awe-inspiring. Seeing them break boundaries and stigmas on age and experience and proving how strong and powerful the youth is, makes me so proud. What Mia, Penny and Charlie have achieved this year is incredible.
“They are all rising stars and I have no doubt that they’ll excel and keep on improving and bringing back medals. We all have so much to learn from them.”
BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023 is taking place on Tuesday December 19, screened live on BBC One and iPlayer.
