Welsh Tennis is celebrating an amazing 24 hours for both Fran Lewis (Swansea) and Fran Smith (Caernarfon) as both women won prestigious national awards.
Talent Development Coach wins UK Coaching Award
Fran Lewis saw her player centred ethos and dedication to talent development win the UK Coaching Award for Talent Development Coach. Fran, a Welsh based Tennis Coach has a high number of players coming through the ranks from entry level programmes to regional and national camps. As a result she was selected by the Lawn Tennis Associations to work on all 12&U inter regional camps and over the last 12 months. Fran was selected to coach at the Junior Davis Cup and Juniors Fed Cup Finals in Hungary and has continued to develop talented young tennis players from her base at Swansea Tennis Centre.
Inspiring Caernarfon teen wins national Welsh Sports Award.
Fran Smith was similarly rewarded. The young wheelchair tennis star will be recognised for her voluntary work in sport by receiving the Inspiring Young Person 2018 accolade at the Welsh Sport Awards. The Caernarfon teenager Fran Smith has put in hundreds of volunteer hours despite her struggle with chronic fatigue and other health issues. Fran, 19, will receive the accolade at Celtic Manor on December 4. The Cardiff Met student is well respected in the world of disability sport, including wheelchair basketball, tennis and boccia. A few years back, inspiring teen Fran said she “hit rock bottom” in her life, but volunteering and competing in wheelchair tennis helped her through it.
Interim CEO, Simon Johnson for Tennis Wales said
“Both women are truly incredible and we’re extremely proud of their achievements and contribution to Welsh Tennis. They’re not only great individual successes, but their coaching and volunteering is directly impacting on the lives of other people. Both Fran Lewis and Fran Smith are great role models and very inspiring”.