For Dylan, sport is more than a hobby.
The Year 8 student at Bournemouth Collegiate School (BCS), part of CATS Global Schools, is pursuing his ambition to compete internationally in wind foiling, one of the fastest-growing disciplines in sailing, where athletes use hydrofoils to lift above the water and reach high speeds.
But Dylan’s story is about more than sport. It is about what can happen when a young person is given the flexibility, encouragement and support to pursue an ambition while continuing to thrive academically.
Now, with the support of a full sponsorship from Bournemouth Collegiate School, Dylan can continue developing his sporting ambitions alongside his education, rather than having to choose between the two.
Supporting ambition beyond the classroom
Dylan first stepped into a boat when he was just three years old. Since then, his passion for sailing has developed into a serious sporting ambition, with international competitions and the Wind Foiling World Championships among his future goals.
For a young athlete competing and training at this level, balancing school and sport can be challenging.
That is why BCS has taken a flexible approach to supporting Dylan’s journey.
His sponsorship includes a full scholarship to attend the school, alongside support for training and competition preparation. His timetable has also been adapted to allow gym training during the school day, while teachers provide flexible learning and remote catch-up work when he is travelling and competing.
This flexibility allows Dylan to continue pursuing his ambitions while keeping his education firmly at the centre of his journey.
The aim is simple: to support Dylan as a whole student helping him develop as an athlete while continuing to learn, grow and prepare for his future.
Watch Dylan’s story
In this film, Dylan, his mother Sarah Cullen, Principal Maria Coulter and Director of Sport David Tomlinson share their perspectives on Dylan’s journey, the realities of balancing elite sport and education, and the role that flexibility and student support can play in helping young people pursue their ambitions.
“The people and the feeling of working towards something”
For Dylan, the appeal of wind foiling goes beyond competition.
“The best part is the people and the feeling of working towards something and achieving it.”
That sense of purpose is central to his ambitions. Training and competing at a high level requires dedication, resilience and discipline qualities that can benefit young people far beyond their chosen sport.
A family perspective
For Dylan’s mother, Sarah Cullen, supporting a young athlete competing internationally brings its own challenges.
“Balancing work, finances and a child competing internationally is a huge juggling act and the school’s support has been invaluable.”
For families, opportunities like these need to work alongside a young person’s education, wellbeing and wider development. The partnership between family and school is therefore an important part of making Dylan’s opportunities possible while keeping his academic progress firmly at the centre.
Creating space for young people to pursue their passions
Maria Coulter, Principal at Bournemouth Collegiate School, believes that supporting young people means giving them opportunities to develop interests and identities beyond the classroom.
“There’s a lot of discussion currently about limiting young people’s time online, but what’s just as important is what we replace it with.”
For Maria, Dylan’s story demonstrates what can happen when students are given the space, support and confidence to pursue meaningful real-world passions.
“We recognise that success looks different for every student, and our role is to provide the flexibility and support that allows young people like Dylan to pursue their ambitions without compromising their education.”
It is an approach that recognises that there is no single definition of student success. For some young people, ambition may be academic; for others, it may be sporting, artistic, creative or entrepreneurial.
Supporting the whole student
For David Tomlinson, Director of Sport at Bournemouth Collegiate School, Dylan represents the qualities the school wants to encourage across its sporting community: dedication, resilience and a commitment to pursuing excellence.
BCS has also recently been recognised with the School Games Gold Mark Award, recognising its commitment to sport, physical activity, competition, inclusion, leadership and pupil wellbeing.
David believes schools have an important role to play in helping talented young people turn their potential into opportunity.
“It’s vital that we support students both academically and in their sporting ambitions.”
Dylan’s story demonstrates how those two areas can work together. Supporting sporting ambition does not mean taking students away from their education; with the right support and flexibility, the two can strengthen each other.
Education and ambition can go hand in hand
Dylan’s story reflects a wider commitment at Bournemouth Collegiate School and across CATS Global Schools: recognising that students have different ambitions, talents and definitions of success.
For some, that may be academic. For others, it may be artistic, creative, entrepreneurial or sporting.
What matters is creating an environment where students can pursue those ambitions while continuing to receive the education, guidance and support they need for their future.
For Dylan, that means being able to train, compete and develop his ambitions in wind foiling while continuing his academic journey at BCS.
His story is a reminder that supporting talent is not about choosing between education and ambition. With the right environment, young people can have the opportunity to pursue both.
Discover more about Bournemouth Collegiate School: Bournemouth Collegiate School (BCS) | Private School Dorset