A chance choice of holiday destination helped kickstart Jay Bovill’s sporting dreams.

Derby star Bovill, 18, is one of Britain’s best BMX future prospects and has embarked on his biggest year of competition yet, with a series of European-level and World Cup events leading up to the BMX World Championships in Glasgow. 

And perhaps more than any other athlete he has his parents to thank, with a conveniently located campsite stoking the fires of Bovill’s competitive ambitions.

“What first attracted me was that I was on holiday in Bristol and right next to the Bristol BMX track was our campsite, which we were staying at for the week,” said Bovill, who is funded by a partnership between SportsAid and Aldi.

“I saw it and I told my parents that I’d love to have a go. We went and found out what the closest track was to me back home. I went, did my first session there and I have loved it ever since then.

“When I was 13 I got third in the European Championships, and one of my proudest moments was the British Championships in 2019. 

“I was racing three years above my age and I won it on my home track - that was one of my main achievements.”

SportsAid Week 2023 is here, with the annual initiative, which was launched in 2016, taking place from Monday 6 March to Sunday 12 March.

This year’s theme focuses on ‘Accessibility and Inclusion’ as the charity shines a spotlight on the country’s most talented young athletes and celebrates the incredible work being undertaken by its partners to support the future of British sport.

The World BMX Championships in Glasgow are a huge incentive for Bovill, with the chance to compete at a global event in his home nation not one to miss. 

And recent British success in the BMX world has provided even further inspiration for the teenager, with a spot at the Olympic Games in Tokyo a possibility.

“It’s amazing that it’s in Glasgow. It’s brilliant that most of my family - that usually watch on TV - can come and see it now, which means a lot to me,” added Bovill, who is supported by SportsAid and commercial partner MBC.

“It’s a very big motivation for me. It makes me work harder as I want to put on a show for them.

“My ambition is to become a full-time GB athlete and at the moment go to the Olympics, but maybe as a reserve. The Olympic years don’t really fall too well for me, but it is doable - and it is my aim.

“My idol in GB is Kye Whyte, he’s so chilled out and he achieves so many things, and doesn’t get phased by it.

“Him and Beth Shriever in Tokyo, it was a big inspiration because we didn’t really see it happening, and it made people train harder, because it shows that it’s possible for you to do that yourself!”

SportsAid Week 2023 takes place from Monday 6 March to Sunday 12 March! Join us for a dedicated week of fun and awareness-raising based around theme of accessibility and inclusion. Please visit www.sportsaid.org.uk