STOP! Hammer Time! Yorkshire businesses partner to support England’s No.1 female hammer thrower

A Skipton-based construction company is partnering with a Guiseley hairdresser to support England’s current No.1 female hammer thrower, Jessica Mayho.

Jessica’s training schedule, track fees, travel and kit costs will get a financial boost for a full year after Sutcliffe Construction gave a £2,000 injection and Claire Benson Hairdressing donated £500, plus a year’s hair styling.

The young athlete, who will now have time to train and compete at a professional level, is the North of England Hammer Champion, current No.1 in England and current No.3 in the UK for her sport, in which she lifts, swings and throws a 4kg stainless steel ball and wire huge distances in national competitions.

Jessica’s current long term goal is to represent Great Britain in the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2020 Olympics.

Firstly, the Cononley-based athlete is aiming to medal at the Amateur Athletic Association England Championships this year, which may only be possible with the sponsorship from the tho companies.

Sutcliffe Construction, which recently hired six new site staff and launched a new mobile-friendly website, is a principal contractor and expert steel frame fabricator that specialises in commercial and industrial builds in the north of England.

The team designed and built the iconic Ilkley Rugby Club in 2011 and recently completed builds for multinationals Cinetic Landis, Aggregate Industries, as well as local firms Advanced Component Technology, Byworth Boilers and Crown Paints.

David Sutcliffe, director of Sutcliffe Construction, said: “We met Jessica while she was working in Haworth and we immediately recognised her potential to represent Britain and felt compelled to help finance her journey. She’s an inspirational young woman who has already achieved so much and has real potential to be the face of British hammer throwing in the very near future.”

Claire Benson, an experienced hairdresser and businesswoman, added: “I was shocked to hear how little support young athletes get in this country and how dependent they are on private funding. While I’ve been able to offer Jessica some cash support, I also wanted to bring her some quality time looking after her hair in between her gruelling training schedule to help her look, feel and then be her personal best!”

Commenting on the sponsorship deal, Jessica said: “Without support this year from Sutcliffe Construction and Claire, I would struggle to afford the fees associated with a career in sport. Everything I need to be the best athlete I can be has to be paid for such as petrol, physio, gym memberships, facility fees, equipment and the coaching.

“I do have a part time job but I need to work less and train more when working to national and international level. A typical week involves six days of training including four throwing sessions, two lifting sessions, plyometrics, circuits, a cardio recovery session, pilates and weekly physio. All my time and energy needs to be spent being the best I can be if I want to represent my country in the future.”

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