Sky's the limit for Andover youngsters (From Basingstoke Gazette)
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Sky's the limit for Andover youngsters
2:52pm Wednesday 30th November 2011 in Andover
Bekah and Finn
Bekah Mills and her brother, Finn Tonks, may be siblings but are kicking up a storm in totally unrelated sports, kickboxing and football.
Bekah, 13, only started kickboxing ten months ago and in that time has entered the British national squad. She began training with Andover’s Fighting Falcons under the watchful eye of coach, Gordon Mitchell. With success in various competitions, including winning the ISKA British title she then qualified for the British squad. This means that if she continues to get results then next October she will be flying to Florida to compete and train.
Bekah says she ‘just loves fighting,’ but the staff of her school at the Henry Beaufort in Winchester will be relieved to know her kicks will only be flying when competitions get going again.
Bekah isn’t the only future sporting star at home in Andover. Her brother, Finn Tonks, six has already been spotted as a footballer with bags of potential. Starting with the Andover Youth team his coach, Simon Timms, describes Finn as having “good awareness’ and ‘An ability to get on with everyone else.’ This was best summed up by his winning last season’s Player’s Player of the Year. While in a local tournament with Andover, Finn was spotted by scouts from the Premiership giants, Chelsea. He has since been training with Andover, Chelsea and the Brazilian Soccer Academy, where emphasis is given on developing skills with the use of weighted footballs in training. Finn has also been working with FA Skills, an organisation dedicated to producing the country’s next top footballers. Bekah and Finn’s mother, Karen Thorne, may have her work cut out getting each child to training and international events but says she, ‘really enjoys watching them enjoy themselves and be successful.’ With such undoubted talent, and a family eagerly supporting them, the sky really is the limit for Bekah, Finn and the future of Andover sport.
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