Joseph Eccles, Michael Clarke and Alex Eustace (see photo) will join three other team members from across the UK in the largest sporting event across the World in 2011.
The event will see over 7,500 Special Olympics athletes with a learning disability from 185 countries coming together to compete in 22 sports. They will be joined by 2,500 coaches, 25,000 volunteers, 40,000 families, 3,000 event officials and 3000 members of the media.
The West Bridgford players will compete in singles and doubles events and be guided by GB Head Coach Lesley Whitehead (Tennis Manager at West Bridgford Tennis Club) and her son and GB Coach Matt Whitehead during their 3 week stay in Athens.
The Special Olympics GB Team 2011, consists of 157 athletes who were selected from 2,500 competitors who competed at the Special Olympics GB National Summer Games in Leicester in July 2009 so it is a fantastic achievement for one club to have so many players selected to represent their country in the tennis event.
On arriving in Greece, the players will spend 4 days on the island of Skiathos (where the film Mama Mia was filmed) to acclimatise to the heat, train and embrace the Greek culture before heading back to Athens for the main competition.
The players have to pay £2,000 each to compete in these games and have been working hard to raise funds to help achieve this. If any local businesses would like to financially contribute, however small, with supporting these athletes on this amazing journey, then please contact Lesley Whitehead on 0115 9811699.