Table Tennis Triumph – Jonny’s Story

His table tennis story may have started many years ago, having been a keen player from a young age and competing nationally throughout the UK, however, RAF newcomer Jonny Heslop recently took the RAF Table Tennis Championships by storm when he scooped an outstanding number of prizes at his first event with the association.

“I joined the RAF in 2023 as an Air & Space Operations Specialist and after many months of trade training, I was posted to RAF Odiham where I started to learn about how important sport is in the military. Coming into the RAF, I wasn’t sure if Table Tennis was classed as a sport, but luckily, I met the person in charge of Table Tennis at Odiham. He was able to answer all of the questions I had and, since I was keen to continue my sporting passion whilst in the RAF, gave me the perfect opportunity to get involved with a new community. I was able to learn all about the RAF Table Tennis Association and the different events that they hold throughout the year. I quickly put my name down to attend the RAF Championships, despite having not attended an event previously.

As it was my first time taking part in an RAF Table Tennis event, I wasn’t sure what to expect. However, I soon found it to be a fun experience and an excellent opportunity to meet everyone, I felt instantly welcomed!

During the course of the champs, I was delighted to come away with a fair few personal achievements and awards such as the Hard Bat Singles Winner, U25 Winner, Men’s Doubles Winner, and Men’s Singles Winner. On top of this, I was lucky enough to play with some incredible people and we took home two awards for Station events, the Inter-Station A Cup Winner for RAF Odiham A team and Station Pairs Winner for RAF Odiham.

I would say for those that have the opportunity to take part in a sport, whether it be Table Tennis or something else, to go for it! I believe it is an important outlet for anyone to take thoughts away from their day job, helping your mental health and giving you the chance to meet other people from across the RAF.

With the support of the RAF Central Fund, opportunities for sport in the RAF are far greater than in the civilian world. You can benefit from financial support to help you take part in your sport, from individual grants towards equipment and competition entry to their support of the Sports Associations where you can go on overseas visits that you may not be able to experience in civilian life. The RAF is a great avenue for exploring your passions through sport and travelling the world whilst you do so.

Even though I have only just been introduced to the great work that the Central Fund does, I believe playing the RAF Sports Lottery is a great way of giving back to the charity and helps them to continue their support of sport at all levels within the RAF.”