A 17-year-old Olympic Skeet shooter from Surrey is aiming for Olympic glory after a year of career highs including competing for Team GB in the World Championships.
Ranked 12th lady and 3rd junior lady in the UK this year, a rising star in British shooting, Maddy, pictured, has had Type 1 diabetes from the age of 3.
Maddy Boyd from Windlesham in Surrey said: “I loved the art and precision of shooting from a young age. I remember joining my dad at the weekend on the range and then aged 13, he took me for my first lesson. Since then, it’s been a passion for me. It requires great timing, precision and discipline – and now with Team GB, I am excelling and really enjoying the challenge. I hope one day to be competing at the Olympics.”
Maddy does most of her training at the National Clay Shooting Centre in Bisley.
Dedication
She said: “I’m quite dedicated – I spend a lot of time travelling and going on training days around the country. This year I competed at the World Championships in Moscow which was a really amazing experience. I learned so much and had a great time with Team GB. Having Type 1 hasn’t stopped me realising my potential – anything is possible. Go out there and don’t let it stop you. In fact, there’s another girl on Team GB who has Type 1 too! We’re in the same boat and it really helps knowing someone who has gone through the same thing.”
Team GB
Petra Boyd, Maddy’s mother, said: “The whole family is so proud of her. It was such a proud moment when we found out she’d been picked to compete at the top level for Team GB. She works so hard and it’s great that she’s doing something she loves. Having Type 1 diabetes is an everyday struggle but she’s never let it define her and that’s really inspiring. I hope other kids with Type 1 can look at Maddy and feel empowered to do whatever they want to do with their life. Diabetes UK does a great job in helping people with the condition get great advice and information and I urge any parent with a child who has been diagnosed with Type 1 to go to the Diabetes UK website and get educated. It’s a distressing time but you need to know everything you can about it.”
Diabetes is a condition where there is too much glucose in the blood because the body cannot use it properly. In the UK, 3.6 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes and 11.9 million people are at increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. There is currently no known cure for any type of diabetes.
Jill Steaton, Regional head for Diabetes UK in the South East, said: “We all need role models and Maddy is one. What Maddy has achieved at such a young age shows how having Type 1 diabetes shouldn’t hold you back. Managing your diabetes well means you can lead a full and active life. Go Maddy – we’ll be cheering you on wherever your career may take you!”
