We are delighted that Joy has joined our BRIT Ambassador family.
Joy has represented Great Britain since the age of 15 and has competed at the Paralympics and the World and European Championships.
“As a former school, college and university student, and having lived with a disability my whole life, I can appreciate how challenging it can be for young adults and students to cope with mental health challenges. Feelings of isolation and loneliness are commonplace and being part of a team can often provide companionship, friendships and increase feelings of self-confidence, self-esteem and self-worth.
Supporting and improving the mental health, wellbeing and fitness of all young adults and students in the UK is particularly important with the current COVID-19 restrictions. BRIT are offering students and young adults the opportunity to take part in an inclusive feel-good team fundraiser; every UK university and college have been invited to embrace and promote the BRIT 2021 Challenge so that their students and staff to decide if they want to enter teams and participate; at home or on campus.
I am very excited to be part of the BRIT Ambassador family and unite with fellow Olympians, Paralympians, sports personalities, adventurers and explorers to support young adult mental health throughout the UK. This collectively powerful approach has the potential to make a huge impact on so many lives if we all pull together.
BRIT are inviting Olympians, Paralympians and sports personalities to join their BRIT Ambassador family and support a university or college of their choice in order to encourage and inspire students and young adults to take part in BRIT’s annual challenges. I urge my fellow Olympic and Paralympic athletes, and sports personalities across the UK, to join us in delivering this positive and uplifting vison.
I look forward to encouraging and supporting students and staff at the Heart of Worcestershire College and the University of Sheffield to take on the BRIT 2021 Challenge.”
Joy Haizelden
Paralympian and World & European Silver Medallist
Joy’s club is the Coventry Wheelchair Basketball Association and she is classified as a 2.5 point player. She made her international debut in the Head to Head series against the Netherlands in 2013. That same year, Joy was named the Peter Jackson Young Female Player of the Year at The Lord Taverners National Junior Championships and was part of the England South’s team that won bronze at the 2013 School Games.
Joy attended the Heart of Worcestershire College between 2015 and 2017 where she studied Health and Social Care.
In 2014, Joy won the silver medal as part of the Great Britain U25 Team at the European Wheelchair Basketball Championships. That year, at the age of 15, Joy was the youngest player to represent Great Britain at the Women’s World Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Toronto, Canada.
In 2015, Joy was part of Team Great Britain at the Osaka Cup in Japan where they won silver. She played a crucial role in the GB Women’s bronze medal European Championship campaign which secured their qualification place for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. That same year, Joy was also part of the Great Britain team who were crowned the Women’s U25 World Champions in Beijing, China.
Joy made her Paralympic Games debut in 2016 when the GB Women’s Team made history with a 4th place finish; the highest achieve by a GB Women’s Team.
At the 2018 World Championships, Joy and the GB Women’s Team won silver and Joy captained the U24 team at the European Championships who won gold.
At the 2019 U25 World Championships, Joy was Captain of the squad who won the bronze medal.
In 2019, Joy won silver as part of the GB Women’s Team at the European Championships.
Between 2017 and 2020, Joy completed her BMedSci in Health and Human Science at the University of Sheffield.
To find out more about the Wheelchair Basketball, please visit the British Wheelchair Basketball website.
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