Harrogate man’s dream of making it as a professional wrestler

High-flying Harrogate professional wrestler Joe Wade will go to extreme lengths to defeat his opponents in the ring.

“I’m willing to throw myself off tall buildings to win a match. I’m not worried about not being able to walk in the morning.”

The 20-year-old former Rossett School pupil has been wrestling for five years, mostly for Leeds-based promotions RISE and Tidal. Growing up, WWE wrestling stars such as Jeff Hardy and Rey Mysterio “were like superheroes” to him.

Joe was 13 when he decided he wanted to wrestle only to find out he had to be at least 15 before he could sign up for wrestling training in Leeds. He then spent two years learning gymnastics, karate, and boxing to help prepare him.

He is still honing his skills in the ring but hopes to one day wrestle in one of the big promotions in America or Japan.

Is wrestling ‘fake’?

For as long as wrestling has existed, it’s been criticised for being a “fake” sport.

The jibes are nothing new to Joe as wrestling runs in his family. His great-grandad George Wade was a referee who worked alongside British wrestling legend Big Daddy. 

Even though matches and storylines are scripted, Joe said many people don’t respect the skill involved with being a wrestler which he said is frustrating.

He added:

“I always hear the same BS about how wrestling is fake. Yet I’m sat here with a list of injuries.

“I had a fracture in my lower spinal cord. I’ve had many elbow issues, but it comes with the territory”.

Read more:

‘Wrestling is everything’

2020 was shaping up to be a busy year for Joe until covid took away the thing he loves doing the most.

“Wrestling is just everything, so it’s been awful.”

He’s used the time away from wrestling to develop and tweak his ring character on social media app Tik Tok. When shows resume in the summer, he’ll return with a darker, edgier persona.

“I’ve had a lot of time to think. So I’m coming back with a whole new attitude.”

“I was the generic ‘flippy kid’, but there are loads of those now.”

Life goals

By day Joe works at an office in Leeds and he’s also going to university in York in September to study psychology. 

But he hopes wrestling can one day be his full-time job. His dream is to perform in Japan, where the sport is especially popular.

When shows do return, he is most looking forward to hearing the roar of the crowd as he performs his high-flying moves on a villainous character.

“I like being the good guy, the plucky underdog. I love fighting the bigger guys.”

Harrogate teacher hopes for record contract with new single

A teaching assistant from Harrogate is releasing an original song in two weeks and hopes he will get a record contract.

Sam McKenzie, is a special needs teaching assistant at Rossett School with dreams of succeeding in music. His first single is called Souls Collide and will be released on February 2.

The 22 year old decided to pursue his talent four years ago after joining local dramatic society, Harrogate Phoenix Players. He found that he loved to sing and perform and began working on his voice.

After a few years of recording covers and posting them to Youtube his parents paid for him to have a recording session in Wetherby for his birthday. From that session the producer offered to help him record three singles under his record company, EBA records.

He said he wants to show his students that if you have a dream it can be achieved with hard work.

Mr McKenzie’s producer has set him a target of 500 downloads across his three singles with the prize being a record contract.

He says the song will resonate with people who may be missing loved ones during the pandemic.

Mr McKenzie has been overwhelmed by the support of his friends and family, who are yet to hear the full song. He hopes his music will encourage people “to stop and think”.

He added:

“I’ve always loved singing but when my record producer said I had talent it meant so much.

“This is the first project that I’ve been really proud of and I hope everyone loves the song.”

Read more:

The money raised from the downloads of his first single will be donated to two local causes. Half will go to Rossett School’s SEND department and the other to Harrogate Phoenix Players.

Mr McKenzie said both causes have supported him throughout his musical journey and pushed him to keep going.

His two further singles are yet to be recorded, Mr McKenzie says he will be back in the recording studio as soon as restrictions allow.

To hear a preview of the single, you can find Sam’s Youtube channel here.

3 pupils test positive for covid at Harrogate’s Rossett School

Three pupils have tested positive for coronavirus at Rossett School in Harrogate.

Parents were informed of the news yesterday in a letter from headteacher Helen Woodcock, which described the infections as ‘single, unconnected confirmed cases’.

It is believed about 60 pupils are isolating as a result of the infections.

The letter says:

“We know that you may find this concerning but we are continuing to monitor the situation and are working closely with Public Health England.

“The students who have been in direct prolonged contact with the confirmed cases will also have received an additional letter and will be self-isolating for the allocated period.

“The school remains open and your child should continue to attend as normal if they remain well.”

The letter urges any children that develop covid symptoms to isolate for at least 10 days. It adds other household members, or members of support bubbles, should also not leave the house.

Nobody at Rossett School, which has 1,400 pupils, was available for comment.

Read more:

 

Second Covid case at Rossett School

Rossett School in Harrogate has confirmed a second year 12 pupil has tested positive for coronavirus.

A further 24 students in the year who were in prolonged contact with the pupil will self-isolate.

In an e-mail to parents, headteacher Helen Woodcock said the school remained open and other pupils should attend as normal.

Ms Woodcock said a “deep enhanced cleaning” of the sixth form centre had taken place.

Read more:

Her email added:

“In line with national guidance I have today contacted the Department for Education and North Yorkshire County Council and we are following their guidance, along with that provided by Public Health England.

“A risk assessment has been completed to identify all individuals who have been in close prolonged contact with the student (24 Year 12 students) and they have received a phone call and a letter home today to inform them of the period of self-isolation.”

Another year 12 pupil at the school was confirmed to have Covid on Monday.

Meanwhile, 16 cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the Harrogate district yesterday.

Rossett School confirms Covid case

Rossett School in Harrogate has confirmed one of its sixth form students has tested positive for coronavirus.

The year 12 student will now isolate at home for 14 days. A further 30 year 12 students have been identified as being in close, prolonged contact with the student and have also been asked to isolate.

The school said its sixth form centre has had a “deep enhanced” clean after being identified as the only area used by the student concerned.

The school added all other pupils could return to school.

Parents and guardians received a letter from the school this weekend to remind them of the protocol if a child develops symptoms.

Helen Woodcock, the headteacher, said:

“In our preparation for reopening we planned for a variety of scenarios, we were well-rehearsed and prepared for it. We followed all the necessary national guidance and protocols.

“We have checked that the child is safe at home with their family. The last three weeks have been a fantastic reminder of the importance of education in the lives of our young people.

“We have reinforced with the students the need for them to consider what they do outside of school, where they go and who they see, and how they can contribute to limiting the spread of the virus.”

Ms Woodcock added staff training and school hygiene rules were also in place to help prevent the spread of the virus.

Yesterday, a further 11 cases of Covid were reported in the Harrogate district.

Read more:

Test and trace system is ‘broken’, says Harrogate mum

A Harrogate mother has said the government’s covid test and trace system is broken after she spent two days trying to book a test.

Madeline Smyth endured several fruitless hours yesterday and Monday regularly refreshing the NHS website and dialling the 119 test and trace phone line to arrange a check for her daughter Caitlin, 16, who had a persistent cough.

Ms Smyth finally secured a slot at a site in Burnley, which is a two-hour round drive from Harrogate.

She was fortunately spared the trip because the government’s mobile testing centre happened to be in Dragon Road, Harrogate, yesterday.

On her second visit to the centre, staff provided a test kit even though they said they were only supposed to help people who had managed to book online to be seen there.

Ironically the centre itself appeared quiet because, Ms Smyth suspects, people were unable to get the online booking system to work.

Ms Smyth, who has post-viral fatigue, said:

“It angers me to see people on the telly say there are plenty of tests available. There may well be but the system to access them is broken.

“We were at the Dragon Road site for 35 minutes and only saw two or three cars turn up. Seven or eight people working there were sitting around waiting for cars to turn up.

“The staff themselves were very nice and helpful and I think we only got a test because the poor girl we spoke to took pity on me because she could see I wasn’t fit to drive to Burnley and my daughter was showing covid symptoms.”

Caitlin, who attends Rossett School in Harrogate, and her brother Oliver, 12, are isolating at home pending the test result.

Read more:

Ms Smyth suspects her post-viral fatigue is a legacy of covid contracted last winter, which contributed to her relinquishing her role as a teacher at Nidderdale High School. She added:

“I was lucky because I am not working now so I was able to spend two days searching for a test. It was exhausting and stressful but there must be hundreds of working mums in the area with kids that have covid symptoms who don’t have the time to go through this.”

Ms Smyth said schools should be issued with test kits that can be given to children as soon as they develop symptoms.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said:

“NHS test and trace is working, we are processing a million tests a week but we are seeing significant demand for tests, including from people who do not have symptoms and are not otherwise eligible.

“Anyone with an appointment will not be turned away, new booking slots and home testing kits are made available daily for those who need them and we are targeting testing capacity at the areas that need it most, including those where there is an outbreak, and prioritising at-risk groups.

“We recently announced new facilities and technology to process results even faster. If you do not have symptoms and are not eligible to get a test you should not be coming forward for one.”

Harrogate student runs 465 miles for charity

Morgan Glazier, 18, is aiming to run an incredible 465 miles over 30 days this month.

The student from Rossett School, in Harrogate, is running in aid of the mental health charity MIND, after suffering with OCD for a number of years. He is hoping to improve his mental health during lockdown, through running, whilst raising money for a charity close to his heart.

To meet his 465 mile target, he will add an extra mile to the distance to correspond with the date. For example, on June 1 he ran one mile and then on June 2 he ran two miles, this will continue until June 30 when he will run 30 miles in a day.

His efforts will see him run the equivalent of a marathon or longer on each of the final days. Morgan hopes his run will highlight the positive effects that running can have on mental health. He said:

“Lockdown has been a bit tough and I haven’t been feeling great. I’ve always enjoyed long-distance running and I often use it to get away from everything. It’s a way for me to disconnect myself from negative thoughts and improve my mental wellbeing.”

The mental health charity, MIND, is close to Morgan’s heart. He hopes his running will bring awareness to positive mental wellbeing.

Read more: 

The mental health charity means a lot to Morgan and his family, who said:

“I am doing it in memory of my uncle, who died as a result of his mental health problems, and for everyone who suffers or has suffered with a mental illness.”

To sponsor Morgan, click here.