We are delighted that Liz has joined our BRIT Ambassador family and is championing the BRIT Challenge to support and improve young adult and student mental health and fitness throughout the UK.
Liz represented England in Badminton for fourteen years. During her career as an elite athlete, Liz was England’s Number 1 Ladies Singles Player, a five-time National Champion and achieved Commonwealth and European Championships medals.
“Through my experience as an elite badminton player for almost fifteen years, my career as a coach for almost seven years, and spending time with young adults and students at universities, colleges and schools for almost a decade, I know that there has been a significant increase in the number of students facing mental health challenges. I’m also acutely aware that the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded the existing difficulties faced by so many young people; particularly those living with disabilities or who are vulnerable.
I am delighted that British Inspiration Trust (BRIT) are delivering the annual BRIT Challenge as a feelgood February fundraiser for every university, college, specialist college and Students’ Union to enter teams and encourage student and staff participation. It’s also great to see that the BRIT Challenge has been designed to be an inclusive event and enables students and staff of all abilities to participate and add their miles to their team’s 2,022 mile target by hand-cycling, cycling, wheelchair pushing, swimming, walking, jogging, running, rowing or paddling (canoeing, kayaking or paddle-boarding
I am delighted to be part of the BRIT Ambassador family to promote the BRIT Challenge, destigmatise mental health and champion equality, diversity and inclusion. I look forward to encouraging my fellow elite athletes to join the BRIT Ambassador family and support a university or college of their choice in order to encourage and inspire students and staff to take on the BRIT Challenge.
I hope to support and encourage students and staff at the University of Buckingham and Highlands College, Jersey, as they take on their BRIT Challenge.”
Elizabeth Cann
Commonwealth and European medallist and five-time National Badminton Champion
Liz started playing Badminton at the age of six and was coached by her mother, Carmen. When she was nineteen, Liz moved to Denmark for three years to develop her badminton skills and where she received formal technical coaching. During her career, Liz received conditioning coaching from Great Britain and Olympic High Jumper, Dalton Grant.
Liz played professional badminton for England between 1999 and 2013. Liz was not a natural at badminton, however coaching enabled her to become one of the Top 20 players in the World, Number 1 Ladies Singles player in England and a five-time National Champion.
In 2006, Liz won silver at the European Women’s Team Championships in Thessalonica.
In both 2008 and 2009, Liz won silver at the European Mixed Team Championships at Heming (2008) and Liverpool (2009).
Liz won bronze in both the Women’s Singles and the Mixed Team at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India.
Having spent fifteen years exploring, trying and testing many personal development principles whilst on the world stage of elite sport, Liz adopted high quality habits and thought patterns that helped her deal with the pressure of high level performance and reach multiple successes and goals.
Since her retirement as an elite athlete, Liz has become a personal/career coach and speaker. Her coaching is influenced and inspired by elite sport, coaching principles, NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), neuroscience, personal development techniques, mindfulness and spirituality.
For more information on Liz, please visit her website.
You can follow Liz on Instagram.
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