jordan - hart

badminton

What was your sport and how did you get into it?

My sport is badminton and I started playing because my parents wanted me to lead an active lifestyle which wasn’t somethinfg I was doing at the time. They encouraged me to try lots of different sports and then on one Saturday I went to my local leisure centre and paid 50p to join the badminton club there and that’s how it all started for me!

Tell us about the highlights of your sporting career?

Representing Wales at European, Commonwealth and World Championships are big career highlights for me. Being British champion and five times international title winner plus being 15 times national champion in Wales are right up there as well.

What were some of the challenges you experienced and how did you overcome them?

Coming from an isolated small place in south west Wales, in a town that didn’t have a lot of opportunity and coming from a very normal, working class family with not a lot of monety to support a sporting career was challenging. I’ve been really lucky to have such supportive parents who have dedicated their lives and given every last penny to support me in my career as an athlete.

What have been your highlights while working at the Trust?

I love being part of a team of such amazing, successful athletes. Being part of the team delivering at a corporate day with the Trust and working alongside such inspirational athletes was brilliant. Being part of the AQA Unlocking Potential programme has been a real eye opener, seeing some of the barriers and challenges young people face. Seeing the group I’m working with, really progress and gain in confidence over the last few months has been really amazing.

What do you do now alongside working for the Trust?

I’m currently still a full time athlete alongside working for the Trust, but I definitely see myself now as transitioning from being an athlete to the world of ‘work’. That’s why it’s been amazing working for the Trust so far, because it gives athletes that help to transition but also values us and uses the skills and experiences we have to help others. I also work in primary schools, visiting young people and leading physical activity sessions, inspiring them to get active and I’ve also started delivering motivational speeches at conferences, helping to inspire the next generation.

What life advice would you give a young person?

Try and be the hardest working person in the room. My Dad always told me to be the first one at training and the last one to leave the court. There were definitely pepole that were more talented than me at badminton over the years but hard work and graft will get you a long way.

What experience do you have of working with corporate organisations? 

I’ve delivered on a corporate sports day for the Trust and I’m the Athlete Voice for Sport Wales, creating a relationship between sports non governmental bodies (NGBs) and Sport Wales. Althetes will come to me if they have any questions or queries, or need support at all.

What does Being Me mean to you?

‘Being Me’ I think is something that can be really tricky, especially for young people. For me it means being proud of where you come from and not shying away from the past. Your past experiences and your roots are what mould you as a person, I’m really proud of where I come from amd my working class background. If you want to be authentic, don’t shy away from what has made you the person you are today. The values that I have today all come from my upbringing and my parents, values such as loyalty, hard work, graft and importance of family.

Competitive Record

2019

Jamaica Open Champion

Cuba Open Champion

Polish Open Champion

Latvia Open Champion

Barbados Open Champion