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Catch up with all your latest sports news from across the county with Finn Macdiarmid.
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00:11Now it takes a lot of support, training and preparation behind the scenes to be
00:17able to get to the level of an Olympic athlete. So Medway's young swimmers got
00:21the chance to learn from the best over the weekend. Duncan Scott is the most
00:25decorated British Olympic swimmer in history with two gold and six silver
00:29medals, four of which he won at Tokyo the most for a Brit at a single Games. So I
00:34went down to Medway Sports Park to find out more.
00:37Oftentimes competitive sports can feel like being thrown in at the deep end,
00:41especially if you're young. So to help Medway's youth swimmers not feel too out
00:45of their depth, Duncan Scott, the most decorated British Olympic swimmer, has
00:49come to give advice, tips and sign a few swim camps as well. He's a part of AP
00:54races clinics that aim to improve the standard of swimming all across age
00:58groups around the country. And with his visit to the Kent Leisure Centre, he's
01:01hoping to not just instruct, but inspire a new generation of swimmers as well.
01:06Yeah, look, it's really cool to come here. You know, I've done a lot in Scotland, you know,
01:09being the Learn to Swim ambassador and, you know, going the length and breadth of
01:12Scotland and opening places and, you know, learn to swim is something that I think is so vital.
01:19But doing it in a slightly different location and more of kind of evolved around in racing and
01:25learning different techniques and things like that, it's, yeah, it's been great fun. And the
01:31kids have been so responsive to either technical changes or just in general, just having so much
01:36fun. So it's been good to see them learning, but then also doing it with a smile on their face
01:41as well.
01:41But there's plenty that goes on outside of the pool as well. They have their strength and conditioning
01:46and even a psychological prep session, making sure that they're well equipped to be able to
01:50handle the intensity of such a competitive sport. And it's not just the young people learning,
01:54but the parents as well. They have a private session with instructors where they can learn
01:58how best to support their child going through the sport.
02:01The AP swim clinic, we have also brought other instructors. They brought the whole team
02:06and they are doing other sorts of like psychological sessions as well as how the team around the child
02:11can really support the child to motivate and, you know, propel them towards higher goals.
02:17I think that's such a fantastic message as well. And we do look forward to meeting Duncan later on,
02:24to see his gold medal as well, because I've heard that he's brought it along with himself as well.
02:29Rather than think of a competition as sink or swim, the idea of having an experienced Olympic level
02:34swimmer like Duncan at Medway Park is to help these young athletes improve their speed while also
02:38taking care of themselves. Finn McDermid for KMTV in Medway.
02:45A Kent man has run the London Marathon in support of brain tumour research after his father, who's from
02:51Sevenoaks, was diagnosed with the incurable type of cancer. Harry Edwards took on the challenge to
02:56help raise awareness of the disease and beat his fundraising goal of £10,000. And I'm pleased to
03:02say he joins me now. Thank you so much for your time, Harry. First of all, I'd love to know
03:06a bit
03:06about the backstory. Obviously, as I mentioned there, your father was diagnosed with brain cancer.
03:11When was the moment that you knew you were going to do this challenge for him?
03:17So I've decided to do this challenge in, well, a year ago, like straight after the
03:242025 London Marathon, I decided to take it on.
03:27Um, this is actually the second event I've done, uh, to raise funds for brain tumour research.
03:33So back in 2023, I also raised £24,000 doing the bath half. So this was like a step up.
03:43Um,
03:44and yeah, I just wanted to do one more go and try and raise some more funds and
03:49do an even bigger challenge. So yeah.
03:52Amazing. And, uh, so you've done this sort of thing before, would you say you're a natural runner?
03:57Where did this sort of start? Have you been doing marathons for a long time? Did you maybe do
04:00athletics when you were younger?
04:02This is my first marathon or yesterday was my first marathon. So I'm feeling it today.
04:07Uh, I'd only ever ran one half and that was the fundraising. So I, I enjoy running, but my
04:14background's in football. And so that's just where it sort of transfers over. It gives me a decent base,
04:20but it was hard yesterday. And, uh, I wouldn't say it comes that naturally. So fair enough. I suppose
04:26running, uh, 26 miles is a bit unnatural for anyone. I'd, I'd certainly be the same. Tell us a bit
04:32about
04:32your, uh, training regimen. How sort of, how, how, how have you been training?
04:38So I picked it up around Christmas time after I came back from traveling. Uh, so I've had a four
04:43month training block as with any training block for a marathon. The, the mileage is,
04:48it gets so big at a point where you start having little injuries coming in. So coming over those
04:55little setbacks has been another challenge that I've had to face, but all in all, when you're
05:02fundraising and you're doing it for a reason, and for me, it's such a reason so close to home,
05:08then you just get through these little things. And I've enjoyed the routine, but I'm,
05:13um, I think, I think I'm now ready to have a break from running the way I'm feeling today.
05:18Uh, and how hard the last 10 kilometers were yesterday, but the trainings, the training has
05:23been good and yeah, I've enjoyed it. I've enjoyed having something to work towards and a big goal.
05:32That's great. Now you say you want to sort of maybe forget about it a little bit,
05:35especially that last 10 K, but let's, let's relive it for a second. Uh, we've got some,
05:38we've got some pictures of, uh, some of the, some of the moments of you running and some of the
05:43people
05:43who were there to support you. What did it mean to cross that finish line and to have so many
05:48people
05:48there to see it? Well, so I mainly want to focus on going round like the first, the first 25,
05:5830 kilometers,
05:58I was on cloud nine. I was flying every, every few kilometers. I'd see a different group of people
06:05that were there to support me and they give the biggest cheer. And you'll see here where I really
06:11living up to the crowd and it gives you such a boost. So in these moments, I felt amazing and
06:19absolutely loved that. And I was running around thinking, oh, this is, this is brilliant. I'll do
06:23it again. And then you get to that sort of 34, 35 kilometers and I got hit quite bad with
06:31cramp.
06:31So the last, the last bit was a real grind, but I really loved the start. And then when I
06:38finished,
06:38the, when I finally made it to the finish line, that was a huge sense of relief just because how
06:43much of a battle the end of the race was. And then when I got over to the brain tumor
06:48research
06:49stand and all the people who were there supporting me sort of cheering as I came over quite an overwhelming
06:55sense of pride accomplishment. And I was so grateful for everyone to make such like such an effort to
07:05come and support and everyone who had donated to the cause. It was, and that was when I first got
07:11hit with sort of the emotions. Like during the run, I was just really enjoying it. But going over and,
07:17you know, seeing my dad and seeing how everyone had come out to support me, it was quite an emotional
07:24moment really for me. So absolutely. And did you expect the kind of, uh, that, that support,
07:32but both, uh, on this sort of financial side, I mean, you beat, you went, I think 800 pounds past
07:37your goal of, of 10,000 pounds and to have all those people there. So tell me a little bit,
07:42did you expect that coming into it?
07:45I didn't. Uh, and especially, especially how I'd done the previous fundraising. I, I felt as if
07:54going again, there was like a two year gap or maybe, maybe more. Uh, but I still felt like,
08:00you know, I've asked for people to support before while they do it again. And so I wasn't too confident
08:06about hitting 10 K, but I wanted to set a big goal. Cause I want to make as big of
08:10a difference as
08:11possible to as many people's lives who are affected by this. And yeah, we managed, we managed to sneak
08:17over. And I think with gift aid, we've raised over 13,000 for this event. And yeah, it's, uh,
08:27it was, it was a very nice feeling and we hit it literally maybe the morning of race day.
08:32Really sorry, that's about all the time we have an incredible achievement. And thank you so much for
08:37joining us to talk about it. Next, despite being more than 50 years old, one man has rekindled his
08:44childhood dream of playing baseball right here in Kent. He's calling himself the 50 year old rookie
08:49and he started swinging for the fences playing in the Kent baseball clubs, a division five side based
08:55in Tunbridge. Now I went down to the club and stepped up to the plate to find out a bit
09:00about how
09:00to play. At 50 years old, I like to imagine the most exercise I'll be getting is lifting up the
09:06TV
09:06remote. But for one Kent baseball fan, he stepped up to bat at the Kent baseball club in Hadlow near
09:12Tunbridge, despite his age to play the sport he always dreamed of trying out. If you speak to my
09:17wife, you say I've got the mental age of a 16 year old anyway, but the body, it doesn't keep
09:21up. I'm on my
09:22third pacemaker, which I had when I was 26, but it didn't stop me. Um, you know, you only got
09:28one life
09:29and I wanted to give it a go. And, um, baseball is one of those things that I've always found
09:34passionate. I'm not one for going to the gym all the time. I do go to the gym, but who
09:38really enjoys
09:39that? I want to get fit on doing something I really love and I felt I would love baseball.
09:43I thought I'd give it a try and yeah, I fell in love with it. He's calling himself the 50
09:48year old
09:48rookie and he's been documenting his experience so far. He originally fell in love with the sport
09:53after visiting family in Canada in the 80s and watching the Toronto Blue Jays. The Kent baseball
09:58club played in Division 3 and Division 5 of the British Baseball Federation, fielding two teams,
10:03the Kent Buccaneers and the Kent Mariners respectively, who used to be separate clubs,
10:07the latter being from Medway and the former from Tunbridge until they merged to help player numbers.
10:11Now, unlike Simon, I've never seen a game of baseball, so I felt a bit out of my league.
10:16So I took some time to make sure I've covered all my bases.
10:21Now, baseball is a pretty simple sport when you're watching it, but it's a little different when
10:25you're playing. Now, the aim of the game is to get more runs than the other team and the way
10:29you get
10:30those runs, well, that's mainly by batting. Once you bat, you can then start to make your way around
10:37the diamond and you get one point once you reach the home plate. And reaching the home plate gets
10:42you that one run, trying to get more than the other team and you take turns between batting and pitching.
10:49Once my catching practice was over, I learnt a bit more about the curve balls that trip
10:53up beginners the most. The first hurdle is having a ball coming towards you that's not the lightest
10:59thing in the world that you've got to try and stop from hitting your face, I think. And that's
11:02probably the hardest thing for a rookie to kind of teach them to not be scared of the ball, to
11:07put
11:07your glove in front of your face and you will be fine. That is probably the hardest thing to get
11:11through to people, especially when they haven't played a kind of batting ball sport before or one that
11:15involves kind of hand-eye coordination. That's probably the biggest hurdle. In terms of hitting
11:19the ball, people find that relatively easy when they first come to practice, so I think it's more
11:24about getting over that kind of nervousness of that ball coming towards you by someone who's been
11:28playing a lot longer than you. With that in mind, I thought it was time to try out hitting.
11:34Well, it wasn't a home run, but I was happy with my hits. But next time, I think I'll bring
11:38gloves.
11:41Finn McDermott for KMTV in Hadlow.
15:12Doesn't look like it there, but it really hurts your hands unless you're wearing gloves.
15:16Well, next, the under-15 team for the Hempstead Valley Football Club based here in Medway took
15:22a trip down to Foshan, China. But it wasn't just matches they were playing, they were also getting
15:27some new personal experiences. The aim of the tradition that they take every, I think every year,
15:33they've done it for a couple of years now, is all to not just make sure that they grow as
15:37goalkeepers,
15:38defenders, fullbacks, wingers, strikers, midfielders, but also to make sure they grow as people.
15:44I caught up with one of the coaches midway through the trip. They are back now. But just about what
15:50else they might be doing on that trip. A nice little story for you just to end the show. Let's
15:54have a look.
15:55All right. Well, thank you so much for joining us, Paul. And first of all, I'm really curious about how
16:00exactly the trip to China got off the ground. Tell us a bit about how it all started.
16:06Okay. So it's kind of built on 20 years of a strong Medway-Chan-Chan links through the Medway UK
16:14Chan-Chan-Foshan Friendship Association. And it's kind of a partnership that's been going on for quite
16:21a while now. Rain and Mark Grammar School in Medway, they actually twin with Foshan Experimental School.
16:28And that's where we played our first football match.
16:31Wow. I see. And so going on from that, you're now in, is it Foshan, China, or are you in
16:37a different
16:37part of China at the moment? In Foshan, China. Yeah, Foshan, China. So it's something about
16:42from one of our players in the Hempstead Valley Football Club. He wanted to take the team
16:48from China. And thanks to obviously the generous support from our sponsor, which is Castle Rock Wealth Management,
16:54and they were able to contribute some funds and a kit, helping us make the trip possible.
17:00So yeah, thank you very much to them, guys. Amazing. And tell us a bit about what it's been
17:04like so far. Have you stayed in the same sort of spot? Have you travelled around? And how many
17:08young people are out there? How many young players?
17:11Okay. So we've got 12 players on our team, and there's parents with each of those players.
17:16We're staying in Foshan, and it will be located in the same area, but we have been travelling around,
17:23visiting various different sites in and around this local region. So we've done AI game here,
17:32we've done collegial schools, and we've participated in martial arts, and we've done pottery making as
17:38we call kiln. We've done visits to local ancestral temples, and we've visited some of the local companies
17:45of businesses nearby as well, you know, because Foshan is rich in their history, and all these local
17:51businesses contribute to that as well. Absolutely. And what have the games of football been like?
17:56Has it all been quite friendly, or is that still very, very competitive?
18:01As you well know, football is always competitive when you cross over that white line. But no,
18:06it's both sides have been very, very friendly, and a lot of respect, a lot of mutual respect from
18:11people involved, and it's been enjoyable experience.
18:16Amazing. And I'm also curious, obviously, recently we've had lots of changes to under sevens football
18:23from the FA. In fact, they're going to sort of be reducing the amount of children that will be
18:27goalkeepers. And I feel at the moment, there's always, with football being such a big industry,
18:32there's always these real discussions about how to maximise the potential of players. But
18:37in your experience, trips like these, where it's not just about the football, it's about growing
18:40them as people off the pitch as well. How important is that in today's kind of current football climate?
18:47Oh, it's huge. You know, we're working with young adults now. You know, this is under 15's team.
18:53You know, I've been involved in this team a good few years, I've been for nearly nine seasons now.
18:58And it's very, very important that we're building beliefs and that mutual respect with everyone
19:05that they play football against. It helps them grow as people. And we like to feel that coaches
19:10ourselves, you know, have a big influence in their lives as they're growing up.
19:14Absolutely. And you guys are back quite soon. What else have you got planned before heading back
19:20here to the UK?
19:24So, today we attended an international school. And tomorrow we're going to visit another school
19:29and we're going to participate in some paper cutting. We actually have one of our lighter
19:33days planned for this week, where we've got a little bit of free time to go and do a little
19:37bit of shopping and enjoy the local culture ourselves. So, quite looking forward to that.
19:42Amazing. And for you as a coach, is this something you really anticipated? And is this the first
19:47time you've done it? Or has this been something you've repeatedly done?
19:51I mean, I did it as a boy when I played football. I did a trip to America. So, I
19:57did a similar
19:57sort of thing. And so, when this came about, something we were very, very keen to get involved
20:02with. I'd mention that manager Paul Squires, who does alongside myself, he was unfortunately
20:11unable to make this trip. Before he left, you know, he did speak to the guys and said,
20:15look, go out there. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Make some fantastic memories.
20:20Try lots of new things. Try the new food. And I'm just, I'm pleased to report that the boys have
20:25done
20:26exactly that. You know, and he would be so proud of what they've done out here. And, you know,
20:30we all miss him. And it's a shame that he wasn't able to make it with us.
20:34Big thank you to Paul. He's been a big influence in their lives as well.
20:38Well, thank you so much, Paul.
20:41Thank you very much, Vin. It's been a pleasure. Thank you.
20:44Oh, and welcome back to Invicta Sport Live here on KMTV. Now, let's get started with some racing,
20:50as the British Touring Car Championship has been preparing for the 2026 calendar,
20:55with its season opener held last week at the Brands Hatch Race Circuit in West Kent.
21:00Our reporter Tim Forster went down to the circuit to find out more.
21:05The thundering sound of engines can be heard as the British Touring Car Championship
21:09returns to the Brands Hatch Race Circuit for the season opener. The event marks the beginning of
21:14the series' 69th season and offers teams and drivers a final opportunity to test cars
21:19before the first round at Donington Park on the 18th of April.
21:232026 has started really well for us. We had a great pre-season test at Croft. At the right end
21:29of the
21:29time sheets, very happy with that. We've made some changes in the off-season and that's beginning to
21:37reap rewards already. But what is it about the BTCC series that draws in so many drivers and attracts
21:43a global fan base? I've grown up watching British Touring cars and I just love the spectacle of it.
21:50I love the close action on the racing. I love the sound of the cars, the way they look. It's
21:55just,
21:56for me, in Europe certainly, this is the most exciting racing you will see.
22:01It was here at Brands Hatch back in 1957 that the very first British Shaloon Car Championship race was
22:06held. That year saw the touch come down to the head-to-head battle between Tommy Sopwith and Jack Sears.
22:12And at the final round of the season, again held at the Kentish Circuit, it was Sears who claimed victory.
22:18But it's been almost 70 years since that inaugural season and though the name may have changed,
22:23the competitive spirit remains the same. End of the season is really about how many points we score.
22:28If we score enough points, things like the Independent Drivers' Championship,
22:32the Independent Teens Championship, Jack Sears will take care of themselves. We're only
22:37interested in winning this year. There are familiar faces returning to the paddock as well.
22:42Jason Plato began his BTCC career as a driver. 30 years later, with two championship titles to his
22:48name, he's back, this time as a team owner. But what does this new role entail?
22:53Well, first thing is, I look at when the drivers touch things, like they drive their wing mirrors or
22:59their front wings into tyres. I have a different feeling now to when I was in the car because
23:04I just see pounds going out the window. I mean, it's very different. It's not easy because I want
23:10to be in the car. I've got itchy feet. With competition high and drivers and teams
23:14eager to get out on the track, the season is off to a flying start.
23:23And don't forget, you can keep up to date with all the latest football news by, of course,
23:27reading Kent Online. But did you also know you can have your weekly digest of Jills news sent
23:34directly to your email inbox. Just search Kent Online email alerts and sign up on the website
23:38for all the latest written transfer news, match reports and interviews. And if the Jills isn't your
23:42cup of tea, there's plenty more alerts to choose from, including all the latest non-league football news too.
23:49And finally, a grammar school is celebrated winning a National Vars tournament at Twickenham.
23:54Maidstone Grammar School's rugby team emerged victorious after a tense penalty shootout against
23:59Dame Allen School, ending the game 22 to 21. The Mayor of Maidstone invited the team to the
24:04Town Hall to congratulate them on their incredible success. Our community reporter Henry Luck went
24:09down to find out more. It all came down to this. One last penalty shot. But Maidstone
24:18Maidstone Grammar School made it happen. Defeating Newcastle's Dame Allen School and winning
24:25the Continental Tyres School Under 18's phase tournament. The final result being 22 to 21.
24:36To celebrate, the Mayor of Maidstone invited the team to the Town Hall, allowing them to bask in their glory.
24:46I'm absolutely delighted. This is why I invited Maidstone Grammar School's team to the Town Hall
24:54in an official civic reception, because if it's team Maidstone, whatever we have to do in Maidstone
25:01that we deserve to celebrate, then we should celebrate. And I should introduce them and show them the
25:07Town Hall and commend them as the Mayor. This has been in the making for Maidstone Grammar School
25:14for over 20 years. And living near Maidstone myself, I can't help but feel great pride for this local team.
25:25The team's head coach says this victory goes beyond just training and playing to win.
25:32It was all about grit, determination and team spirit, which showed when player Ian Coveney scored the winning goal.
25:45Ian Coveney, They're an incredibly hard working bunch of boys and we've spoken a lot about pride and
25:49togetherness and who you represent. And these boys said at the start of the year it's about inspiring
25:53the younger generations amongst them and they've certainly lived that. And that togetherness that
25:58they've showed both on and off the pitch has really paid dividends. So yeah, togetherness and pride.
26:04It was an amazing moment for everyone involved. I feel like I took the responsibility well to take
26:11the kick, but at the time I didn't really want to take it. I was suffering with cramp, injured a
26:16bit,
26:16but all the boys backed me. So to have that support from the boys really helped me get through it.
26:19With these students sending shock waves across the borough, this achievement is looking to be talked about
26:28and commended for years to come. Henry Luck for Kame TV in Maidstone.
26:37And that's full time on today's episode of Invictus Sport. If you want more from us,
26:42check out our website, but that's all the time we have. Thank you for watching.
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