When Elliott Lefley’s mother Julia received a phone call from his head teacher at Lifton Community Primary Academy, she thought her son was in trouble.

The news that followed was quite the opposite as the 10-year-old found out he had been selected to be a Team GB Mini Mascot on the road to Paris 2024.

Lefley, from Lewdown, is one of six children to be selected from across the nation, an extraordinary opportunity to be part of the action on Team GB’s journey to the French capital next summer.

“I think my school selected me to be a mini mascot because I’m a sports leader at our school and I like being helpful,” he said.

“My favourite thing about all the sports I do is that there is a lot of running and fun activities involved in them.

“I’m really excited for next summer. Being a professional athlete takes courage, lots of ambition and quite a lot of strength.”

When Elliott is not surfing at Widemouth Beach or taking part in multiple sports outside of school, he is helping those who find sport more challenging at school.

Lefley’s mother Julia believes her son will be a perfect fit for the Mini Mascot role on the journey to Paris 2024.

“My first thought when I received the phone call was ‘oh no, what has Elliott done?’,” she said.

“But they explained the competition and as a school they thought Elliot would be suitable.

“He encourages other pupils who find sports more challenging. He’s kind and he’s inclusive, so I think they’re all good qualities for a Mini Mascot.”

As part of the kitting-out day at the Olympic Park, mascots were given the surprise opportunity to meet canoe slalom world champion and Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Mallory Franklin.

Franklin shared her experiences on the world stage to the budding young athletes and believes the Mini Mascot campaign can inspire a generation to get active.

“What I’ve learnt about myself and how much I’ve developed through being an athlete, I definitely want to give back and encourage kids to do that and support them on the journey if I can,” Franklin said.

“It’s amazing for them to be able to get an insight on what it is to be an Olympian and everything that goes with that.

“It’s a really exciting thing to be part of at their age as Team GB Mini Mascots.”

If you’d like to hear more about the Mini Mascots and follow their journey, head to https://www.teamgb.com/article/team-gb-announces-six-children-as-official-mini-mascots-for-paris-2024/68VUqFDbCdljGDTHcEuXpn