Athletics star Jami Schlueter has explained how an injury made him recognise he is more than just an athlete and motivated him to use his voice to inspire others.

The 18-year-old competes in the decathlon having shown talent in several sports from a young age including rugby, swimming and athletics before settling on the multi-discipline event.

Jami Schlueter

Jami Schlueter

Schlueter, whose sporting ambitions are supported by an innovative partnership between SportsAid and Wall’s Pastry, will cross the pond to America next year to begin an athletics scholarship with the Huskies at the University of Washington.

And the Denham native spoke of his injury, saying: “It was a torn lateral meniscus which requires surgery and it was my first ever injury.

“Initially it felt quite damaging on my mental health and it took a little bit of soul searching and that's when I figured out that actually my identity is more than just an athlete.

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“I learned that through speaking to other people who have suffered injuries or who had hurdles in their life.

Jami Schlueter

Jami Schlueter

“I hope to use my track experience to share wisdom so, for me, I see that in the media, presenting or commentary, similar to what Michael Johnson and Denise Lewis do.”

For the past year, Schlueter has also taken on the role of head boy at Millfield School and is also athletics captain- where he has used his positions to give advice to the younger pupils and athletes at his school.

SportsAid and Wall’s Pastry’s partnership has helped fuel Schlueter’s burgeoning sporting journey, with an innovative on-pack Wall’s promotion giving consumers a chance to win a handful of money-can’t-buy experiences.

The on-pack promotion launched earlier this month and involves 50p from every pack sold going towards supporting the next generation of SportsAid stars.

Jami Schlueter

Jami Schlueter

The vital funding goes towards travel and equipment costs for young athletes and Schlueter doesn’t have to look far for inspiration among SportsAid alumni, with Ennis-Hill among those to have benefitted from similar programmes in the past.

Schlueter explained how being part of SportsAid has helped him in his development, adding: “I feel incredibly privileged that I was fortunate enough to be selected as a SportsAid athlete and besides just the funding that we get, they do a lot through the webinars and in teaching us about mental health and sport, recovery techniques and how we can reduce injuries.

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“It's not just a funding system, they actually do take care of the athletes and it's incredibly humbling that you're with so many like-minded people.

Jami Schlueter

Jami Schlueter

“The beauty of SportsAid’s support is it is so much more than just about your sport – I was on Zoom calls with fencers, with pentathletes, with hockey players, with swimmers, so it's just so cool to rub shoulders with people who I might see at an Olympic village, and it'd be crazy to say we were both on SportsAid.”

Wall’s Pastry is proud to be championing the next generation of UK athletes. For more information about Wall’s Pastry or the on-pack promotion, please visit www.walls-pastry.co.uk.