An event in Belfast has celebrated the success of 210 young sportspeople including two archers who have received funding to help them achieve their sporting ambitions.
This year’s Mary Peters Trust Athletes’ Academy, held at Belfast Harbour Commissioners, celebrated young people from more than 50 different sports who have each received a Mary Peters Trust funding award during 2026.
Archers Katie Jennings and Claudia Bloxham were there representing the sport.
The Trust, founded by President Lady Mary Peters, has been helping young athletes reach the next level for over five decades and, year on year, provides support to an ever-increasing number of athletes, many of whom go on to represent Team GB and Team Ireland at National, European, international, and Olympic-level competitions.
Athletes are nominated for a Trust funding award and then selected following a rigorous process. Those selected each receive financial and general support to help them navigate and succeed in their sporting careers and ultimately achieve their individual goals.
One of those athletes represented at the event was archer Katie Jennings who is focused on two key targets – a world number one slot and selection for a future Olympic Games. Compound archery makes its Olympic debut in Los Angeles 2028 but it's the Games after LA that the 19-year-old Newry athlete is firmly targeting.
Katie has already achieved her key goals of being selected to represent Northern Ireland and GB and to win gold medals for both, now her sights are focussed on maintaining her position within the GB squad and competing at the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane, Australia.
"My other dream goal is to be a world number one. Having completed my A levels, I'm currently making archery my main priority and am travelling to Lilleshall in England for training sessions every other weekend, which is a huge commitment.
"I've also completed an instructor course for archery, and I'm really enjoying teaching young students in schools and hopefully inspiring more people to get into the sport."
Katie flew the flag for GB in June when she won the compound U21 women's team gold, alongside Chloe Scott and Patience Wood, at the European Youth Cup.
It was during a family holiday in Donegal when she was eight that Katie first tried out archery for fun and her positive experience encouraged her to join her nearest archery club, Ballyvally Archers Banbridge, based in Loughbrickland. Katie took a break from the sport when she moved from primary school to high school but made a return to archery when she was 15.
"It was at this stage I came across coach Marty McCullough, as he had set up a new archery coaching course, and we really just clicked. Marty still trains me today. He is so encouraging and is always at the end of a phone when I’m away at competitions," she said.
As well as her international achievements, she is proud to hold several Northern Ireland records.
In addition to her very supportive parents, Katie says her PE teachers at Newry High School have also been brilliant. “Mrs Dunn and Mr Annett helped me to spend so much time and energy on archery, enabling me to fulfil sporting goals working around my academic commitments. I'm thrilled and proud that my teachers have now set up an after-school archery club and hopefully Newry High School will be cheering on more archery champions in the years to come."
The 2026 MPT awards were presented by Lady Mary Peters and athletes were joined by parents and family members as well as coaches, sport liaison officers and MPT Board Directors.
Congratulating the athletes and thanking everyone for coming along, Lady Mary Peters said: "Our academies are very special occasions where Mary Peters Trust athletes can celebrate their sporting successes this year and meet lots of other likeminded athletes also aiming for key future goals."
