Celebrity Interview - Stars of The Future
Natalie Syme and Mark Megans
Stars of The Future Natalie Syme and Mark Megans
THE COAST OFFERS AN EXCITING AND LIVELY LIFESTYLE, AND OUR YOUNGER RESIDENTS ARE STEPPING UP THE PACE. SAMANTHA JONES INTRODUCES TWO OF OUR MOST TALENTED PRODIGIES... THEIR TRIALS, TRIBULATIONS AND THE PATH TO SUCCESS.
NATALIE SYME
Passion at the top
Natalie Syme has a passion for tennis - so much so that her family have relocated from Scotland to Marbella so she can pursue her talent for the sport. She may only be 10, but already Natalie has played at national level in Scottish and UK tournaments, and is bound to set Europe alight. The move to southern Spain - one of the world's leading tennis areas - means Natalie can take advantage of the great all-year climate, training outdoors on clay surfaces while being taught by some of the best international coaches. Natalie trains at the Marco Tennis Academy (Don Carlos Hotel) in the capable hands of ex-pro Daniel Marco. Extra guidance from Andreas Marco and French coach Jean Luc Tulai guarantees the best coaching she could hope to find. The club is affiliated to the sports medicine department of the University of Granada, which assesses Natalie's reaction time, speed, agility and endurance training, constantly developing her aptitude for the sport.
Full-time training of no less than four hour a day makes tennis and school difficult to juggle, so Natalie's parents have arranged for private tutors to educate her at home. Flexible schooling hours allow her to concentrate on her game when it counts, and recently Natalie competed against girls up to four years older than her in under-12 and under-14 local tournaments. By continuing the hard work, she will hopefully reach the highest possible level over the next two years, and be signed up by a sports management company to fund the high costs of coaching and travelling. All in all, Natalie loves tennis. At just 10, she's been to watch many professional grand slam tournaments and will watch tennis for hours. Her favourite female player is Maria Sharapova - and it almost goes without saying that her favourite among the men is fellow Scot Andrew Murray.
MARK MEGANS
A true racing champ
Named one of the best 50 drivers in Spain by prestigious racing magazine Car and Driver, 10-year-old Mark Megans is firmly following the footsteps of world number one Fernando Alonso. Mark's first experienced karting four years ago and he was instantly hooked. Karting is filled with heart-stopping excitement and is the starting sport for many a world champion racer. These days Mark is clearly one of the best drivers in his category; since his early days training at the Mijas track (the starting ground for many an aspiring racer), he has hurtled through Spain, claiming several titles.
In 2004 he was Andalucian champion at novice level, and third overall in the cadet category, competing against drivers considerably older than himself. He was fourth overall in the Spanish championship for cadets, and secured a staggering second place in the final for the whole of Spain. Last year proved even more successful, as Mark was Andalucian and Spanish champion at cadet level - titles he's expected to retain this year. Thanks to the help of several sponsors, Mark is able to tour Andalucía, Cataluña and the rest of Spain and should be able to make the jump to European racing next year.
