Fundraiser launched to help young tennis star, 15, continue training after parents' pub forced to close
A YOUNG tennis player following his dream needs public support to continue his passion after his parents’ pub was forced to close.
Portsmouth teen Lewis Taylor, 15, first picked up a racket aged four and has been working hard ever since, with dreams of making it to Wimbledon one day.
For most of the year since he was 12, Lewis has lived and trained in Florida at the Gomez Tennis Academy, funded by hardworking publican parents Caroline and Paul, who own The Rose in June in Milton Road.
After the pub was closed due to Covid-19, Lewis’ future in the USA seems uncertain - so the family have launched a fundraising campaign to keep him working towards his tennis career.
Dad Paul said: ‘It’s been heartwrenching for me and my wife because our business just froze. We’re just putting it out there to see if members of the public will help out.
‘There are people out there in a lot worse situations than us, but Lewis has put his life into tennis and due to no fault of anybody’s, Covid-19 came in and for that to be the reason for him to stop is quite difficult to take.’
Lewis discovered his passion for the sport at Portsmouth Tennis Academy in Burnaby Road, thanks to coach Kevin Baker who first took the budding player to Florida.
Kevin, who has been a coach for 28 years, said: ‘I think everything was going along OK until we ran into this horrendous situation. He was on the project from a very young age, he discovered something in his life that he loved and it will be great if they’re able to keep him out there.’
Despite sacrificing life at home with his parents and 10-year-old sister Pearl, Lewis is thriving at his American school and in his tennis training.
The family hope to raise £10,000 to fund a year of his education and training - and have already collected more than £2,000.
Paul added: ‘My wife and I are very humbled by the support we have already received.
‘This is a child who wants to make it in tennis and doing everything he can to get there.’
Visit uk.gofundme.com/f/lewiss-tennis-dream to donate.