Homepage

We use cookies to track and analyse visitors to our website

These cookies help make the website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation. They are necessary for our website to function and cannot be switched off.
These cookies gather information to understand how visitors interact with the website, such as how many people are using our website of which pages are popular to help us improve user experience. Switching off these cookies will mean that we cannot gather information to improve the user experience.
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by a third party provider whose services we have added to our website. Switching off these cookies mean that areas of our website cannot work properly.

Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user's experience more efficient.

The law states that we can store cookies on your device if they are strictly necessary for the operation of this site.

For all other types of cookies we need your permission.

This site uses different types of cookies. Some cookies are placed by third party services that appear on our pages.

You can at any time change or withdraw your consent from the Cookie Declaration on our website.

Learn more about who we are, how you can contact us and how we process personal data in our Privacy Policy.

Skip navigation
  • About us
    • Our Directors team
    • Our Board and panels
    • Strategic plan 2021-31
    • Annual reports
    • Our funders
    • Who we work with
    • Tenders
    • Contact us
  • Our work
    • Investing in sport
    • Investing in events
    • Powering positive change and social impact
    • International relations
    • Learning and development
    • Protecting and Transforming Olympic and Paralympic sport
    • Leadership and governance
    • Coaching
  • Events
  • News
  • Sports
    Olympic sports
    • Archery
    • Aquatics
    • Artistic Swimming
    • Athletics
    • Badminton
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Bobsleigh
    • Boxing (Amateur)
    • View all
    Paralympic sports
    • Boccia
    • Goalball
    • Para-Archery
    • Para-Athletics
    • Para-Badminton
    • Para-Canoe
    • Para-Climbing
    • Para-Cycling
    • Para-Equestrian Dressage
    • View all
  • Resources
    • A Code for Sports Governance
    • Organisational Health
    • Para performance strategic framework
    • Board minutes
    • Complaints and whistleblowing
    • Eligibility
    • Fraud, corruption and bribery
    • Transparency and open data
    • HR policy templates
    • Pregnancy guidance
    • Reports and research
    • The Whyte Review
  • Jobs in sport
    • Working at UK Sport
    • Explore career pathways
    • Find jobs in sport
    • Advertise sport jobs
  • About us
    • Our Directors team
    • Our Board and panels
    • Strategic plan 2021-31
    • Annual reports
    • Our funders
    • Who we work with
    • Tenders
    • Contact us
  • Our work
    • Investing in sport
    • Investing in events
    • Powering positive change and social impact
    • International relations
    • Learning and development
    • Protecting and Transforming Olympic and Paralympic sport
    • Leadership and governance
    • Coaching
  • Events
  • News
  • Sports
    Olympic sports
    • Archery
    • Aquatics
    • Artistic Swimming
    • Athletics
    • Badminton
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Bobsleigh
    • Boxing (Amateur)
    • View all
    Paralympic sports
    • Boccia
    • Goalball
    • Para-Archery
    • Para-Athletics
    • Para-Badminton
    • Para-Canoe
    • Para-Climbing
    • Para-Cycling
    • Para-Equestrian Dressage
    • View all
  • Resources
    • A Code for Sports Governance
    • Organisational Health
    • Para performance strategic framework
    • Board minutes
    • Complaints and whistleblowing
    • Eligibility
    • Fraud, corruption and bribery
    • Transparency and open data
    • HR policy templates
    • Pregnancy guidance
    • Reports and research
    • The Whyte Review
  • Jobs in sport
    • Working at UK Sport
    • Explore career pathways
    • Find jobs in sport
    • Advertise sport jobs
Popular content on our site
Prepare to “Find Your Greatness” as search for UK's future athletes gets underway The National Lottery operator Allwyn launches ChangeMakers fund for athletes as they make a difference back home Breadth of success targeted as British Olympic and Paralympic performance aspirations confirmed for Paris Investing in sport Strategic plan 2021-31
News

First GB women's Olympic handball team features two Sporting Giants

Published 21 June 2012

The 14-strong GB women’s handball team for London 2012, confirmed today (21 June) by the British Olympic Association, includes two athletes who first came to the sport through the Talent ID campaign Sporting Giants.   

Louise Jukes and Kathryn Fudge were both novices to the sport when Sporting Giants, the first appeal of its kind, was launched by the UK Talent Team (UK Sport and English Institute of Sport) in 2007. Fronted by five-time Olympic champion Sir Steve Redgrave, the appeal attracted almost 5,000 applications from hopefuls wanting to try out for the sports of handball, volleyball and rowing.

London 2012 will be the first time GB has been represented at an Olympic Games in handball and for Louise and Kathryn, it has been a long journey since their lives changed in 2007 to realisation of their Olympic dreams in 2012.

Former basketball player Kathryn said: “It was like being an eight-year-old again, not knowing how to play or what you are playing.

“For me it was a step into the dark. You make sacrifices. It definitely makes you wonder why you are doing it, but then you see the Olympics and what you can achieve."

Louise, who was previously a member of the England under-18 hockey squad, said: "I knew when they dangled the Olympic dream over my head that I was always going to go for it. We think we can get in the top eight at least.”

Ian Yates, Senior Talent Scientist for the UK Talent Team, said: “It was a huge challenge to take a group of athletes from other sports and get them ready to perform at the Games in such a short timeframe. The selection of Louise and Kathryn into British Handball’s Olympic squad shows that talent identification techniques can be successfully applied to skill based team sports.

“Having placed their careers on hold, their selection is a real testament to their determination, the support provided by the World Class Performance Programme and the expertise of the coaching team. As someone who can still recall their first handball experience in Nottingham in 2007, I will be very proud to watch them line up in the British team at The Copper Box this summer.”

Sporting Giants also discovered a number of players for the men’s squad, including captain and former football goalkeeper, Bobby White, who will be hoping to be selected for Team GB when the team is announced.

Full GB women’s handball squad:

Sarah Hargreaves, age: 23
Jane Mayes, age: 23
Zoe van der Weel, age: 21
Holly Lam-Moores, age: 21
Ewa Palies, age: 23
Kathryn Fudge, age: 22
Lynn McCafferty, age: 33
Nina Heglund, age: 18
Yvonne Leuthold, age: 32
Marie Gerbron, age: 25
Kelsi Fairbrother, age: 22
Britt Goodwin, age: 29
Louise Jukes, age: 28     
Lyn Byl, age: 32

For more information on Louise Jukes visit her profile
For more information on Kathryn Fudge visit her profile

Share
  • X
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

News

Participants of the UK Sport Athlete To Coach programme taking part in a fireside conversation
UK Sport launches new programmes to support coaching across the high-performance community
21 May 2025
Headshot of Professor Nick Webborn CBE
Professor Nick Webborn CBE appointed new Chair of UK Sport
19 May 2025
Decoration image with the logos of UK Sport and Weirdo
Transforming fan experience: UK Sport introduces new engagement strategies for Olympic and Paralympic sports
15 May 2025
Looking to work in sport?
Find or advertise sports jobs in the UK
Search now
Our funders
  • Funded by UK Government
  • TNL partners
Who we work with
  • British Olympic Association
  • Paralympics GB
  • Logo of the UK Sports Institute
  • Sport England
  • Sport Northern Ireland
  • Sport Wales
  • Sport Scotland
  • Logo of the British Elite Athletes Association
  • Logo for UK Coaching
  • Logo of Sport Resolutions
Sitelogo
Sitemap
  • Homepage
  • About us
  • Our work
  • Events
  • News
  • Sports
  • Resources
  • Jobs in sport
  • Website terms and privacy policy
  • Editorial policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility
  • Freedom of Information
  • Welsh language scheme
  • FAQs
Contact
UK Sport
6th Floor
10 South Colonnade
London
E14 4PU
E: info@uksport.gov.uk
T: +44 (0) 20 7211 5100
Follow us
Twitter Youtube Instagram LinkedIn

© Copyright UK Sport 2025