A Bath-based modern pentathlete aiming for Olympic glory is among those the Army pays to pursue a full-time sporting career.

Lieutenant Sam Curry hopes to represent Team GB at next year’s Paris Olympics.

Sam, who competed for Great Britain in the World Modern Pentathlon Championships in Bath this summer, says those dreams are massively boosted by the Army’s programme for elite athletes.

A member of 10 Army Education Centre Group, Tidworth, he said: “I arrived at the National Training Centre in 2012, where I studied Politics and International Relations. After graduating from the University of Bath, I turned to full-time sport.

“In 2017, I went to King’s College London to study a masters in Conflict, Security and Development. I returned to Bath in 2018 and competed on the international senior circuit, qualifying for Tokyo 2021 Olympics as a non-competing reserve athlete before attending Sandhurst in September that year.

“Before then, I had no idea about the variety of roles. When I looked a bit further into it, I saw there was space to pursue my sporting, outdoor and academic interests. A key part, however, was that I wanted to have the chance to work with the wide range of soldiers who bring all kinds of skills, life experience and humour to any situation.”

Sam, aged 30, who grew up in Salfords, Redhill and now lives in Bath is currently on the Army Elite Sport Resilience Margin (REM). He won bronze on his European Games debut in the Modern Pentathlon mixed relay in Poland in June.

The former Whitgift School, Croydon, pupil said: “Without the support of my The Educational and Services Branch and Adjutant General’s Corps none of this would be possible. They also often provide me with the opportunity to develop my teaching as a Learning Development Officer, which is the role I will step into when I return from the REM.

“My sport has been Modern Pentathlon for nearly 20 years now. I have had the ambition to compete at an Olympics for just as much time, and the Army is providing me with the resources and opportunity to fulfil that ambition. It’s something I feel grateful for every day.”