The talented Rufus Dawson has been selected to play ice hockey for the Great Britain Under 16 team.
Stepping on to the ice "like Bambi" was the moment that changed seven-year-old Rufus Dawson's life forever.
Now aged 15, Dawson has represented his country in ice hockey and moved from Surrey to Canada to focus on his sporting career.
He told BBC Radio Surrey he "caught the bug" on that first post-Christmas family visit to Somerset House in 2017.
"I was a bit like Bambi, slipping all over the place, but I enjoyed it," he said.
"I was pretty confident at the start - but obviously still had a long way to go.
"I don't know if they [his parents] knew quite what they were letting themselves in for.
"From there, every single weekend I'd ask my Dad to take me skating.
"Then one of my first coaches got me into hockey... it was kind of a trailblazing moment."
Dawson, who grew up just outside Guildford, moved to Quebec in September 2024 to fully dedicate himself to the sport.
After being selected for the Great Britain Under-16 team, he now combines intense training with completing his education.
Dawson admits it is a "busy schedule" but says he embraces the challenge.
"I think, being in that environment, you learn how to manage it well," he told Game Changers.
After training at the ice rink at Guildford Spectrum, a resource he acknowledges "a lot of kids" lack access to, Dawson had joined the Guildford Under-9 ice hockey team by the autumn of 2018.
He continued to work his way up the ranks to Under-16 level, with England recognition following in February 2023.
The next year saw Dawson make a "big change" by moving to Canada.
"I never really thought of it as a big 'I'm leaving home' kind of thing, because it was something I always wanted to do and I felt I was ready for," he said.
The teenager's typical day is now made up of school and an intense ice hockey schedule.
He said: "We're on the ice four to five times a week practicing... and then two to three games at the weekend and tournaments during the season."
Dawson's burgeoning career has not been without its challenges.
After being selected for the Great Britain Under-16 team last summer for an international tournament in Estonia, the teenager broke his collarbone in the first game and missed the rest of the tournament.
While "heart breaking", Dawson says he learned "patience" through the process of properly rehabilitating his injury and has maintained his fearless mindset.
"As much as it's a very physical sport, I've never been someone who gets on the ice scared," he said.
With so many achievements already under his belt, Dawson does not believe his parents could have foreseen his trajectory all those years ago at Somerset House.
He said: "I think, if they look back, they definitely would not have thought that [trip] would've led to what has happened now, but I think they're glad."
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Category: General Sports
