GREENFIELD RAISED Katy Andrew fears her dream of competing in the Olympic Games may never be fulfilled.
The 18-year-old water polo international believes in 2020 she is more likely to be in an office or a boardroom than the Olympic pool in Tokyo.
It’s not the scenario Katy imagined with London poised to host the 2012 Games and the Saddleworth sporting all-rounder on the cusp of a promising career.
Instead, the Manchester-based Great Britain programme was savaged by funding cuts from UK Sport, throwing into doubt the futures of many of the game’s up-and-coming talents.
Skill and dedication is now not enough to represent your country in water polo. Players, like Katy have to fund their own way. Or at least the bank of mum and dad has to bail out their offspring.
Katy is settling back into school life after representing GB at the World Junior Championships in Greece. The tournament and pre event training camp in Hungary cost parents Richard and Heather more than £3,000.
It is likely to be a similar scenario for next year’s European Junior Championships in Holland. And it has left Katy facing a huge dilemma.
“The worlds were an amazing experience,” she told the Independent. “We did get battered a few times, but it motivated me to want to keep training and to be able to play at their level.
“However, it is weird with the whole funding issue. And I just don’t know what is going to happen.
“We could get some funding back after Rio 2016. If we don’t then there will probably never be a senior team going to an Olympics again.
“So, I don’t want to put everything on hold for it. I am not planning on doing water polo as a career.
“There is one girl on the squad who has gone to university in Arizona on a water polo scholarship. But she will be training full-time for four years.
“For me, after this year I want to concentrate on getting my degree and getting a job. Hopefully, I am going to university in Copenhagen to study international business,” explained Manchester High School for Girls educated Katy.
It was at school where she was first talent spotted by then GB international, Chloe Wilcox. Shelving a promising cross country career, Katy, who represented Stalybridge Swimming Club, joined City of Manchester Aquatics.
The rise through regional and England talent ID squads soon followed and at 17 she was playing for Great Britain under-20s.
“It’s such a shame what happened after London. It was ridiculous of UK Sport to cut all the funding,” said Katy.
“But even if I don’t get to an Olympics I will still play for my club because I love water polo.”
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