My name is Tiana , I am 12 years old, from Brighton.
I have been playing Tennis since I was 6 years old, and it is my ambition to play professionally when I am older. I live at home with my mum , dad and two brothers, my parents both work full time and spend the rest of the time looking after the 3 of us!! I train 4 mornings a week before school, which means getting up at 6.45 … come rain or shine, where I train there are no indoor courts, but in the winter months we have a temporary bubble put up to play in.
Then a full day at school and 4 nights a week more training after school, this is a combination of fitness, tennis and conditioning in the gym, its physically hard, but imperative if I am going to succeed. Weekends are more group squads plus individual lessons, fitness and running. ( not forgetting homework!!) I am so lucky to have some really great friends at the tennis club to share the hard work and make it fun! Plus the most amazing , enthusiastic coaches who want us to fulfil our full potential.
This Summer was the best ever for me as I was selected to play for Great Britian in the Summer Cup, the team is made up of 3 girls and we had to fly to the Netherlands for the qualifiers which we won, so we flew to Corsica for the finals, it was so hot, but a such a great experience, GB finished 7th out of 32 countries, so not bad at all!! Tournaments are a massive part of a tennis players life as you have to keep up your rating and your ranking in order to be eligible to get into the top ones. The summer was my last season as an under 12, I did well winning all the grade 3 tournaments I entered and making it to the finals of two Nationals before winning both the singles and doubles National finals in Scotland in July.
So in September I moved up to the next age level under 14s, and played my first National tournament, at that level in Bolton getting knocked out in the semi finals, so a great start!! Last week I was selected to play a friendly GB v France at Roehampton, where we won!! To end 2015 my ambition is to play in the Orange Bowl tournament in Miami, because I am not 13 until next year I am still in the 12 and under age bracket in America.
Next to Wimbledon this is the biggest tournament on the tennis calendar , 317 competitors have entered the tournament , but only 64 get selected, so if I get a place I really have to go as I will never get this opportunity again, this is not a trip organised by the LTA so all the funds have to be raised individually , so this is what im determined to do, and once there I will work my socks off to achieve my full potential.
For the cost of my lessons, squads fitness etc the LTA give funding to players , but this doesn’t go very far, I am sponsored by Head, this is for my clothing and my rackets and bags , and I have local charities who also fund me, and without them there is no way I would be able to continue, they truly are my lifeline, I really believe that this level of sport should be accessible to everyone, not just the rich, and thanks to the generosity of so many this is true, so please if you can contribute no matter how small, it will make such a difference .
Here is some Video footage of me from BBC !
https://www.facebook.com/BBCSouthEastToday/videos/10153490367778648/