As a child growing up with boys, Abi Powell enjoyed the odd kickabout in the park. At eight years old she started playing for her first club, Cwmffrwdoer. Eleven years later Abi has been selected as runner up in the UK for her sporting performance by British Colleges Sport – something she never dreamed when she was breaking in her very first pair of football boots.
Coleg Gwent Crosskeys Campus student Abi joined nominees from 320 colleges across the UK at the British Colleges Sport Conference at Aston University last week to celebrate her achievement in the Female Sporting Performance category. Needless to say she’s over the moon: “To be selected from all of the other students in college was an amazing feeling. There are so many other great sportswomen at the College that to be the one put forward for the award was really amazing. To then have reached the shortlist, and then be announced runner up from all sportswomen in 320 colleges in the UK is absolutely fantastic!”
The nineteen year old from Pontypool has represented Wales in the Welsh Colleges women’s football league and captained the 11-a-side Coleg Gwent team that won the Welsh league in just their first season, as well as leading the 5-a-side team to success in the Welsh Championships.
But the football pitch isn’t the only arena in which Abi has showcased her talents. She’s also captained Coleg Gwent’s women’s basketball team who won the Welsh Championships, as well as representing the Welsh Colleges team at the National Championships two years in succession in 2009 and 2010. She’s also represented Welsh Colleges at hockey and captained the Coleg Gwent women’s tag rugby team that took first place in the Caerphilly schools league in 2008/09.
As if her sporting prowess wasn’t justification enough for Abi’s recent success, her academic performance is up to the same exceptional standard. Abi started at Crosskeys Campus three years ago on a First Diploma in Sport and has just finished her National Diploma in Sport with a hat trick of distinction grades.
Abi is planning to emigrate to Australia in December where she has family. Until then she’ll be coaching a new girls’ team at PILCS FC in New Inn as well as playing for and coaching the women’s team RTB Ebbw Vale where she has been voted Player’s Player, Player of the Year and received the Captain’s Award for the past three years.
“The award is just a fantastic end to a brilliant three years at college,” says Abi who’s going to continue her first love, football, in Australia. “I’ve become a lot more confident on the pitch and I’ve had to be a role model to my team which has helped me become a strong leader, a skill that will stand me in good stead for my future.”
Abi was nominated by her tutor Mererid Dark, who accompanied Abi at the conference. Mererid explains why she felt Abi was a deserving nominee: “She has made an outstanding contribution to the College and the wider community and always leads from the front. She is always chosen as team captain, whether by staff or her peers where her qualities of determination, motivation and empathy always shine.
“Every year there are students who impress staff but occasionally there are exceptional students who you can rely on 100% in every occasion in all situations, Abi is one of those students.”
