COURTNEY Dean is hoping to help boost water polo in the UK as she gears up for her debut in the World University Games.
Confidence in Great Britain doing well in Chinese Taipei next month is high after the 22-year-old from Stockton Heath and fellow selected students steered a reformed England senior women’s team to an unexpected EU Nations Cup win in the Czech Republic at the weekend.
“We did better than expected in the EU Nations, coming back with gold wasn’t really expected as a team that’s just come together,” said Dean, a swimming teacher and lifeguard at Broomfields Leisure Centre who graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University on Tuesday with a 2:1 in public services.
“That was like a practice for the student games. The team that went is the team that’s going to the student games as well.
“Hopefully we can only get better from here and there’s a few more competitions coming up. Hopefully if we do well in Chinese Taipei it will be like a platform into getting more funding back into the sport and more people starting again at grass-roots level.”
The World University Games is second only to the Olympics in terms of size for a combined sports event.
Former Warrington and Priestley College sports personality award recipient Dean, who worked at Camp America last year, will be one of nearly 10,000 competitors from around 170 countries heading to Chinese Taipei at the end of an 11-day training camp in Manchester.
Courtney Dean, above, Warrington Young Sports Personaliy of 2010 and, below, Priestley College Sports Personality of 2013 along with Matt Wilkinson and collecting her award from Dame Sarah Storey
Canada, Russia, Hungry, Japan and New Zealand will be among the opponents in Pool A.
“The entire GB team across the sports will fly out together and there will be a big village where we’ll be living with athletes from loads of other sports and countries, so it’ll be quite exciting and quite an experience,” said Dean, a keen Warrington Wolves fan who helped the Great Britain junior team to best-placed finishes at the European Championships in Ukraine in 2010 and the World Championships in Greece in 2013.
Representing Great Britain juniors in 2010
Dean needs to raise £2,520 to cover the cost of her travel and training as water polo funding was withdrawn by UK Sport in 2014.
Warrington Swimming and Water Polo Club, where she is a member and first started playing, have donated £150.
Any organisations able to help should contact Warrington Guardian sports editor Mike Parsons on 596390 or at mparsons@guardiangrp.co.uk.
Courtney Dean with her hands on the EU Nations Cup
Dean featured in the Group B wins against Switzerland (15-4), Czech Republic (11-10) and Scotland (17-4) as undefeated England went on to beat Group A winners South Africa in spectacular fashion 12-6 to lift the EU Nations Cup in Pilsen.
She scored goals against South Africa and Scotland.
Her passion for water polo started by accident after her brother, Connor, asked her to fill in at Warrington Swimming and Water Polo Club when she was just eight.
By the age of 11 she had caught selectors’ eyes and achieved a place in the regional squad.
Dean holds her level two accreditation in water polo coaching and swimming teaching and is supported by LiveWire’s talented athlete programme.
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