WHEELCHAIR basketball prodigy Ellan Fraser insists her journey towards LA 2028 has already started after watching her friends compete on the Paris Paralympic stage.

Fraser, 20, is one of Great Britain’s most promising wheelchair basketball players, lighting up the court for Worcester Wolves.

As part of the tight-knit community within the sport, Warwick-bred Fraser had the pleasure of supporting her teammates through their Paralympic experience from home as GB’s women’s team reached the quarter-finals.

And while their campaign did not go completely to plan as GB missed out on a medal, Fraser was nevertheless inspired by the buzz surrounding Paris to reach the pinnacle herself.

“I watched them all online, sent them all messages, chatted to them whilst they were there,” said Fraser, after being selected by Aldi – the official supermarket partner of Team GB and ParalympicsGB and official partners of Team GB Nearest & Dearest Programme, supporting athletes’ families – and SportsAid as part of their Rising Stars programme.

“It seemed really good, apart from the performance, which was a bit disappointing. I think they still put their best into it and it was lovely to see them put what we practised into play.

“I’ve already started working towards 2028. I’ve already got my routine sorted and started working towards it.

“I guess Paris has kind of inspired me, otherwise I wouldn’t still be working towards it. But I’m focusing on the present because there’s other competitions before LA which you have to work towards in order to reach LA.”

Fraser has been one of the 1,000 athletes supported each year by SportsAid, who provide crucial financial support as well as offering development opportunities through workshops and visits.

These athletes are Great Britain’s brightest sporting prospects. They are nominated to SportsAid by the national governing bodies of more than 60 sports based on set criteria from each.

The typical value of a SportsAid award is £1,000 with money generated through a combination of commercial partnerships, trust and charitable funds, and fundraising activities.

Fraser has also reaped the rewards of SportsAid’s partnership with Aldi, who also provide vital media training and nutrition sessions, as well as funding the Parent Pathway Series – a series of tailored online sessions for parents and guardians to ensure SportsAid athletes are getting the best family support they can.

Aldi also provides athletes with a food voucher, something which Fraser has massively benefited from, covering the ever-expensive food shop during her time as a student at the University of Worcester.

“It’s been super helpful with things like expenses and with the Aldi voucher, I literally used that for my food shop,” she added.

“As a student, that is really helpful. It meant I had that extra money for equipment or travel or like a rainy day fund.”

Aldi and SportsAid are now in their third year of partnership.

In 2024, they are supporting six local athletes, who will be part of SportsAid and Aldi promotional campaign, receive enhanced financial Aid Award, a monthly fruit and vegetable voucher, a private tour of Team GB’s Kitting Out experience and a media training and nutrition sessions.

Visit https://www.sportsaid.org.uk/partners/our-partners/aldi for more information.