Harrodian is proud to share the journeys of two former pupils who have recently taken their talents beyond the school fields and into the world of competitive sport: Artemis Downer and Cameron Stones have each pursued their passion, hard work, and commitment in cricket and football respectively.
Artemis left Harrodian last summer after celebrating fantastic A Level results and, before beginning her Art Foundation at Loughborough University, took a gap year in Australia — an experience that tested her independence and gave her invaluable cricketing opportunities. 'It was really out of my comfort zone," she reflects, "but I met my current best friends and the cricket was amazing.”
While in Sydney, she honed her skills before returning to the UK to play at a high level for Wimbledon Cricket Club (Men’s 2s and Women’s 1s) and to take her place in the Middlesex Women’s 1st XI, where she opened the batting in the 50-over format.
Harrodian was very supportive in letting me attend training...Mr Proudfoot encouraged me with tips on how to improve the mental side of my game and Ms Kinsella was amazing in helping me navigate Sixth Form life alongside competitive cricket
Artemis Downer, former Harrodian pupil and Middlesex cricketer
At just 19, Artemis scored 327 runs in seven innings, averaging 65.4, and became a trusted member of the Middlesex fielding squad. Her outstanding performances led to her nomination for Middlesex 50-over Player of the Year. (Voting for which has now closed but we are keeping our fingers crossed for her!)
The highlight of her year was winning the T20 Vitality Blast League 2 — but more than that, forging lifelong friendships and growing as both a person and a cricketer.
Artemis is quick to acknowledge the role Harrodian played in her journey: "Harrodian was very supportive in letting me attend training. I also had help from Mr Proudfoot, who encouraged me to apply sports psychology techniques to strengthen the mental side of my game, while Ms Kinsella was amazing in providing pastoral care and helping me navigate Sixth Form life alongside competitive cricket."
At just 19, Artemis scored 327 runs in seven innings, averaging 65.4, and became a trusted member of the Middlesex fielding squad. Her outstanding performances led to her nomination for Middlesex 50-over Player of the Year
An all-round talented athlete, Artemis also excelled as a goalkeeper over the years for both the Harrodian boys and girls football teams. Playing as part of the U13A team when she was younger and winning the Surrey Prep Schools Cup was a particular highlight. She is passionate about inspiring the next generation of sports players, especially girls: “It’s taken a lot of hard work, and there have been setbacks. Once you give in, you might as well give up, so you need to keep going. I’m excited to see how cricket, especially girls’ cricket, develops at Harrodian.”
Meanwhile, Cameron Stones, who was at Harrodian from Reception to the 13s (Year 9) before spending just over two years at Epsom College, is now pursuing his footballing dream with Wycombe Wanderers. He is part of their Academy setup and has already made his first-team debut.
His debut was a remarkable milestone: at 16 years and 282 days old, Cameron became the fourth youngest player ever to represent Wycombe Wanderers in their English Football League era. Known as the Chairboys, Wycombe have been an EFL (English Football League) club since 1993.
Both Artemis and Cameron took their first steps on Harrodian pitches, and are today representing county and league teams on a bigger stage.
We look forward to following their progress and hope their stories inspire current pupils to pursue their own sporting passions — wherever they may lead.