Staffordshire has produced yet another slalom canoeist set for a glittering career, as Uttoxeter’s Sam Maingay paddles in the slipstream of Stoke Olympian Joe Clarke.

Hailing from the same Stafford & Stone Canoe Club as the Rio gold medallist, the precocious 17-year-old has risen to rank eighth nationally across all age-groups.

The teenager’s assured display at the World Junior Championships in Ivrea, Italy offered a vindication of his talent as he secured a 12th placed finish limited only by penalties.  

Maingay rubs shoulders with Clarke at British Canoeing’s Lee Valley base and in his bid to progress, has already drawn on the 25-year-old’s experience.

“I think particularly from the timings I put down in Italy, I’ve got confidence I can perform if I cut out certain mistakes,” said the JCB Academy student.

“I know without errors, I’m one of the top three or four boats in the world as a junior and I can take a lot from that into the European Championships.

“The senior members of the team are more than happy to chat and over the last few weeks, I’ve spoken to Joe, David Florence, Ryan Westley and Bradley Forbes-Cryans a fair bit.

“They are able to offer advice and guidance and they’re all very accessible to do that.

“Looking ahead I think the 2024 Olympics will come too soon so 2028 is the realistic long-term goal and I feel I’m on track for that.”

The Stafford-born ace, who first qualified for the British team in July 2017, is now targeting a strong finish at this month’s European Championships in Slovakian capital Bratislava.

His cause is also being helped by The Nottingham Building Society, who are teaming up with charity SportsAid to support 50 local athletes as they try to find their ‘time to shine’, with each receiving £750 of funding.

Having already donated £240,000 to SportsAid to help athletes buy equipment, travel to competitions and receive the training they need to be the best they can, The Nottingham Building Society are now also helping athletes on the path to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, and beyond.

Maingay, who attended Western Road Academy until the age of 16, maintains the funding’s vital importance given the amount of travel his sport demands.

“I have to pay for my trips away to European and World Championships with sponsorship from family and friends,” he said.

“Those trips aren’t cheap so the funding helps me take the opportunity to go out there and compete.

“It’s really great to have the backing, not only financially but just knowing there’s someone behind you who can provide you with different and new opportunities in sport.”

Nottingham Building Society and Harrison Murray teamed up with SportsAid in 2013 to help future sports stars get their time to shine. Visit thenottingham.com to find out more.