Youngster serves up Chatteris tennis-a-thon challenge
A tennis-loving teenager is taking part in a 14-hour marathon match to raise funds for his beloved scout group.Oliver Appleby, 18, has been a member of Chatteris Tennis Club in Cambridgeshire since he was six - the same age he became a beaver scout.People are paying to play him and sponsoring him while he is on court from 07:00 until 21:30 BST on Saturday, as he makes the most of the available daylight.He is well prepared for the hot weather and will be wearing a hat, sunscreen and taking breaks. His mother, Anne, said she was very proud of her son, adding: "I think he is amazing."
Mr Appleby, from Wimblington, said his passion for tennis and outdoor activities started at a young age."Now I am 18 I have become a Network member of the 1st Doddington Scout Group," he said."Last year, one of our leaders took us on a summer camp to Belgium - our first international trip in 24 years. "It went so well we decided to travel to Holland next year, but we need to raise funds for extra activities - so I immediately thought up a tennis-a-thon."
Anne Appleby, 60, said Oliver was currently studying and hoped to become a sports journalist in future."He got his love of tennis from myself and his gran, my mum," she said."She would take me to Wimbledon to watch players like Margaret Court when I was a youngster and we always watched it on telly."Mrs Appleby said Oliver took to tennis "like a duck to water" and the tennis-a-thon married "his passion for scouting and his passion for tennis wonderfully".
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