GUYANESE table tennis star Chelsea Edghill is climbing the ladder of success in the sport thanks to a sponsorship from Linden Wood University in United States of America.According to the teenager, “My ultimate goal is to be in the top hundred or top two hundred in the world and one day make the Olympics to represent Guyana; for me that is something that I aim for and I work towards; if it is that I don’t make it I must be close to it so I can have a sense of fulfilment that I’ve done something in the sport.”
She gained the scholarship through the intervention of former Guyana table tennis champion Michelle John, who also attended the University.
Edghill, a national and Caribbean champion, also attributed the partial scholarship to hard work, sacrifice and the support of her parents.
“It’s a stepping stone for greater things in life especially in my academic endeavours, I think it will benefit me as a table tennis player because I will be able to train with a lot of players from around the world, places like Brazil , Portugal.”
“It will help me to see different styles of play and understand more of the game and the intricate detail that are involved in it and help me to be a much better player and a much better person overall,” the young Edghill contended.
A three-time sportswoman-of-the-year and the beneficiary of many International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) programmes, the Guyanese still remains humble to this day.
“After playing or after studying in the U.S., I intend to come back home to give back the knowledge I know of the game or in the field that I’m studying, either one, to my community. I’ve been taught to give back and for me I find it refreshing to actually help others. She is currently benefiting from a five-year 75 percent scholarship that will allow the 18-year-old Edghill to pursue a major in chemistry with a focus on forensic science as well as a minor in engineering physics and criminal justice.