AMBASSADOR
Sport
- Badminton
Robin's story
I have played badminton since the age of 8, when my father, who had recently taken up the sport, took me along to the local badminton club in Stamford, Lincolnshire, to hit shuttles behind the stage, while the adult members played games on the two court mats in the social club dance hall. I enjoyed the experience and joined a junior badminton club locally, eventually began playing matches, and progressed to the junior county squad, to receive coaching, then progressed to senior county sides, until making the first team for Lincolnshire when I was 18.
I retired from Senior County at the age of 30, having captained the County for 2 seasons, to focus on business and family life.
Encouraged by my younger sister Gill, who also played at junior, senior and latterly masters county level, I returned to Lincolnshire playing in master’s over 50’s and over 55’s in the intercounty championships and national divisions.
I’m currently a member of badminton clubs in South Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire, play Masters badminton for Lincs and play in national and international tournaments at Masters (Europe & World Seniors)
While I’ve not won an international tournament (yet – still work in progress despite now being 61), I competed in the World Senior Championships in Spain in 2021, reaching the 3rd Round in over 50’s Men’s Doubles, and in the European Championships during 2024, reaching the 3rd Round in over 55’s singles and men’s doubles. I’m striving to take a further step this year, representing England in Thailand at the 2025 World Senior Championships at over 55 men’s singles, over 60’s men’s doubles and over 55’s mixed doubles (playing with my sister Gill) in a field of over 1600 players of age groups from 35+ to 75+ (so even if I don’t success, there’s is more time yet to keep competing)
Lincolnshire is a large geographic county, and so it has always been challenging to build participation at the county level. In 2025, Lincolnshire County BA decided to build a level 2 coaching capability, with myself and 6 others taking the BE level 2 coaching course. Our aim is to develop and support regional academies in Lincolnshire to encourage and build badminton participation at Junior ages, through interaction with clubs/schools and leisure/sports centres in the county.