Lydia Harrison admits her England debut has whetted her appetite for experiencing more of the big stage lights as she embarks on her burgeoning international career.

The Hull netball ace, 18, fulfilled a childhood dream when she pulled on the red dress for the first time in July 2021, representing England’s Under-19s against Wales.

And the former Leeds Rhinos player may now have to get used to that feeling after also being selected for the Roses Academy in September.

“That was probably my best moment of netball ever,” said Harrison, who benefits from financial support from Boost Drinks – a company born over 20 years ago with a vision of energising everybody in every way and is committed to supporting its local communities, whether this be fuelling them with its range of Sports, Energy, Iced Coffee, and Protein Drinks, or by getting more involved to help them achieve their goal.

“My coach said to me as I was going on, ‘just breathe, because I know how much this means to you.’

“All I've ever wanted to do is play for my country.

“She knew I needed to gather my thoughts a little bit because I was going a bit crazy, to be honest. I couldn't believe it.

“My adrenaline was absolutely through the roof – it was just a lot of mixed emotions, but pride was the overriding feeling.

“It was the best moment ever.”

SportsAid supports over 1,000 athletes each year – in the early stages of their career – by providing them with a financial award to help towards training and competition costs.

The typical value of a SportsAid award is £1,000 with money generated through a combination of commercial partnerships, trust and charitable funds, and fundraising activities.

A first-year student at Loughborough University, Harrison says that support has been vital as she adjusts to university life.

And the 18-year-old has a long-standing affinity with her new base - one that stretches back to her school days.

“It was completely by chance that I went to Loughborough in the first place,” said Harrison.

“I would have played for Yorkshire Jets, but they folded and my closest franchise was Loughborough.

“So it was quite a drive, but we did it and I loved the environment even when I was younger.

“It's so positive and I figured it's such an open space. There's so much learning that goes on and I don't feel afraid to learn here.

“I'm now at the university and playing for Loughborough Lightning too. It's a new franchise and new scenery for me and I just can't wait every day to get on court, it's just so exciting.”

Boost Drinks provides young athletes with financial support, recognition, and personal development opportunities through its partnership with SportsAid. Each athlete receives a £1,000 award which contributes towards costs such as travel, accommodation, and equipment – for more information visit www.boostdrinks.com