Nostalgic return to Harrogate roots for 'inspirational' woman who is boss of Wimbledon Championships
Wimbledon’s first female chief executive in its 150-year history has returned to her old Harrogate school to share how it turned her from being a “shy girl” to be a leader in global sport.
Sally Bolton OBE, who attended Ashville College between 1985 and 1992, now oversees the Wimbledon Championships each year, an iconic £400 million global sporting event with a 370-strong team that rises to many thousands during the tournament.
The nostalgic return to her Harrogate roots saw Sally share with today's pupils how the school had acted as a springboard for her entire career by building confidence and self-belief.
“Ashville College was transformational for me,” said Sally.
"I arrived there a very, quiet shy girl, lacking in confidence.
“Through the care and attention of the teachers, the supportive and family feel of the school and a new-found interest in and love of drama, I left a smarter, more confident, self-assured individual.”
After leaving Harrogate and completing a Public Relations degree at Leeds Metropolitan University, Sally Bolton’s career highlights include being chief executive of Wigan Warriors Rugby League Club, managing director of the World Athletic Championships in London in 2017 and a board member of UK Sport.
She also led the team that delivered the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, for which she received the OBE.
Sally told pupils: “It is possible to go from Ashville to Wimbledon, however unlikely or unbelievable it would appear to you now, or as it did to me when I sat where you are 30-plus years ago.”
Her visit to her old school was inspiring for two Ashville College students in the audience, in particular:
Emi Linley, 17, has competed on Wimbledon’s famous grass courts and is planning to develop her talent at tennis college in America next year.
And Sejal Sood, 17, who is Ashville College’s tennis captain and has started playing on the Lawn Tennis Association circuit.
Head of Ashville College, Rhiannon Wilkinson, said: “We were thrilled to welcome her back to her school to inspire our pupils with an insight into the journey to become a top female leader in world sport.”