Christopher Ward likes people who share our underdog spirit. And our Challenger Programme is the best way to show this.

Launched in 2013, the Programme nurtures people with world-class talent, but who need a helping hand to achieve their ambitions. Whether in fields that are under-represented in terms of funding and coverage, or individuals undertaking a feat the rest of us wouldn’t dare contemplate, Christopher Ward provides funding and support to those that push boundaries.

Will Satch
One of our very first Challengers, Henley-based rower Will is a two-time Olympic medallist, having won a bronze at the London 2012 Games before following it up with gold at Rio. Having also won three World Championships, Will’s long-term goal is to compete (and win) at Tokyo 2020.

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Sammi Kinghorn
Reacting to personal difficulty in the most buoyant way possible, within two years Sammi Kinghorn had represented Scotland at its home Commonwealth Games. Two gold medals and a world record time were to follow at the 2017 World Para-athletics Championships.

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Jamie Maddison
Ultra-runner, explorer and a bit of a storyteller, Jamie’s unique goal was to conquer the Saryesik-Atyrau Desert in a 24-hour, 100-mile ultra-marathon in September 2017. Jamie’s spirit of adventure and sheer hard graft make him a great prospect for CW’s Challenger Programme.

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Jody Fannin
As one of our first motorsport Challengers, Surrey-based Jody Fannin has just the drive we were looking for; an ambition of his is to win Le Mans, born from his first visit there aged 7. An extremely talented racing driver with experience racing around some of the world’s most famous circuits, Jody’s future is an extremely exciting one.

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Paige Bellerby
A rallycross driver hailing from Yorkshire, Paige soon began to deliver upon her potential when, incredibly, she became the first female to win a British Rallycross Championship – at just 14 years old. We look forward to supporting Paige in her ambitions to partake in the adrenalin-infused, full-contact world that is the FIA World Rallycross Championship.

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Lizzy Foreman
Lizzy has spent the past 21 years surrounded by a yacht and the open ocean. Not only was she the first female and British sailor to finish in her class in the Mini Transat, she is partaking in the ‘Vendee2020Vision’ programme, a competition whose prize is the 2020 Vendee Globe – a solo race around the globe.

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