Eastbourne brothers among athletes backed by sports fund

Three young brothers from Eastbourne—Cale (17), Zeke (12), and Jace Tennant (12)—are among a group of local athletes selected to receive financial backing from the GLL Sport Foundation (GSF)

This marks the first time that athletes from Eastbourne have been eligible for the program, following the charitable social enterprise GLL taking over management of the town's Sovereign Centre. The GSF is widely recognized as the largest independent athlete award program in the United Kingdom. 

The Backed Athletes from Eastbourne

A total of six local sportspeople were selected to receive the 2026 funding and training support: 

• The Tennant Brothers: Cale (17), Zeke (12), and Jace (12), who are all competitive swimmers.
• Patryk Przyczyna: A 15-year-old competitive swimmer.
• Ian Woodward: A 55-year-old masters-level swimmer.
• Teddey Ede: A 13-year-old judo competitor. 

What the GLL Sport Foundation Provides

The foundation serves as a launchpad for both Olympic hopefuls and grassroots competitors. Winners typically receive:

• Direct financial training grants to cover travel, equipment, and competition fees.
• Free training access to over 250 GLL-managed sports facilities across the UK.
• Sport science support, including physiological and nutritional guidance. 

The funding is designed to ease the financial burden on young athletes and their families, ensuring that training costs do not act as a barrier to national and international success.