Name: Safiyyah Azeez
Sport: Tennis

Photographs displayed courtesy of James Jordan

How did you start playing sport?
I first started playing tennis in 2001 at my local club, Dinas Powys. Just on Saturday mornings with a group of my friends. I gradually started playing more and more. I then realised i wanted to take tennis seriously and moved to UWIC for more intense training. I'm now at Esporta Cardiff and train nearly every day with my coaches Rhod Vaughan and Jo Thomas.

What sports did you play when you were a child?
I often went swimming, and played netball for my school. I still try to play a little bit of hockey but its hard to fit it all in. And I used to do the high jump in the summer. At the moment it’s hard to find time to fit in other sports because tennis is a big commitment, but it’s definitely worth it.

What do you enjoy about sport?
I love travelling. As soon as you get to a high standard its difficult to find tournaments close to home. So I regularly travel the country. I went to Florida in October - which was amazing. And this year I have also been to Finland, France, Holland and Scotland. I have made lots of new friends from all over Britain and some from America.

I also enjoy setting goals for myself, and I feel like I'm making lots of progress when I achieve them. Even though tennis isn't really a team sport like hockey or netball, I still love the fact that I have a team of people that support me - my coaches, the fitness coach, the British coaches and my family. I have met Pat Cash, Brad Gilbert and Andy Murray which was cool. Although it’s a lot of hard work, its definitely worth it!!

How important do you think Dragon Sport is?
I think it’s really important because it gives children great opportunities to take part in sports by developing their interest and their skills.