Olympic sprinter at Bedford SportsAid lunch

Donna Fraser, who came fourth in the 400m at the Sydney Games 12 years ago, will be able to share her Olympic memories at Bedford Blues Rugby Club on Thursday, December 6.

SportsAid gives financial support to promising young athletes in the early stages of their career.

Many of Britain’s top Olympics have benefitted from SportsAid including London 2012 gold medallists Etienne Stott, Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins, Katherine Grainger and Victoria Pendleton amongst others.

Donna Fraser was a highly successful junior runner who won six English Schools 200m titles before turning to the 400m in 1991 and becoming European Junior Champion at the distance the same year.

It wasn’t until the mid 90s that she began to concentrate on the 400m seriously and qualified for British teams in the major outdoor championships between 1996 and 1999.

At the Sydney Olympics in 2000 she finally showed her potential when she took almost a second off her personal best to finish fourth with a time of 49.79 seconds. That season she had trained alongside Olympic Champion Cathy Freeman.

She was a finalist in the 1998 European Championships, and Commonwealth Games where she took a bronze medal, and was a key part of Britain’s 4x400 relay team, taking medals at the World Championships in 2005, European Championships and Commonwealth Games.

The SportsAid lunch at the Bedford Blues Rugby Club marquee in Goldington Road begins at noon and is a perfect occasion for businesses and individuals, maybe a Christmas gathering - so book the date in your diary now! Tickets will be priced at £27.50 per head or £275 per table to 10.

Bedford SportsAid lunch is supported by Woodfines, McIntyre Hudson, The Embankment Hotel, Bedford Blues and the Times & Citizen.