Medha Vallapureddy will be Guernsey’s water carrier at today’s Island Games Opening Ceremony in Orkney, while Amy Critchlow will be the Sarnian flag bearer.
The pair were chosen out of the whole of Team Guernsey to represent the island on the International Island Games stage at the 20th Games, which start today.
The traditional roles involve leading Team Guernsey into the arena, before the water recently collected from Bordeaux Harbour is poured into a fountain that will run throughout the Games week.
Medha is just 14-years-old and this is her first Island Games.
She is the youngest member of the Badminton squad.
“I think it’s really exciting that someone my age gets to experience this,” she told Express.
“I actually wasn’t aware that it was such a ritual, and then I found out I thought it’s really cool. It’s such a nice idea. So I’m really honored to have this position. I think it’ll be really exciting, and it’ll be nice to be part of something as a community. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Medha has been playing her sport since she was seven, and first represented Guernsey in an Under 19 inter-insular match when she was just nine.
Medha has since represented the island at county level for the last two seasons.
So far in 2025, Medha has already won eight gold medals in singles, doubles, and mixed badminton tournaments at under 17 age group in Guernsey and on the Badminton England tournament circuit, most notably winning Gold at the prestigious Warwickshire event in April.
When she was named as the water carrier, the Guernsey Island Games Association praised Medha for her “biggest achievement to date” which was being crowned Senior Island Women’s Singles Champion in Guernsey in December 2024.
Medha is the highest ranked player in the badminton competition in Orkney this summer, and GIGA said “it’s hoped Orkney will be the first of many Team Guernsey island games for her”.
Guernsey’s flag bearer already has five Island Games under her belt, and insists this will be her last as a competitor.
“It’s amazing,” said Amy. “It’s such an honour to be selected to do this. This is my fifth Games. I’m always really proud to represent Guernsey and my triathlon team, but it’s a huge honour to represent the whole of Team Guernsey.
“This will be my last games, so it kind of marks the end of a 10 year period of either training for the Games or competing in the Games. So this is a brilliant way to end that,” she said.
Amy has won team medals at every Games she has contested, and in Guernsey 2023 she achieved the significant personal milestone of claiming her first individual medal – a bronze – alongside Guernsey’s team gold.
She is a member of the triathlon event management team and coaches other triathletes.
She said that will continue even after she retires from competing this summer.
“I always want to be involved in the Games, just perhaps not as a competitor,” she said.
Amy also extolled the positivity of the Island Games in offering opportunities to sportspeople of all ages, whatever their discipline.
“It’s really nice to have the opportunities for all ages to compete, and the different sports being that different ages can compete. Triathlon is a sport where you’re not necessarily at your best at a young age, you can develop endurance more as an older athlete. So it’s a really nice, inclusive Games because lots and lots of different sports can offer opportunities for all sorts of ages and people.”
GIGA said: “Amy’s contributions to the sport go far beyond competition, she runs the junior section of the Guernsey Triathlon club nurturing the next generation of triathletes as well as leading Tri-a-Tri Guernsey which organises the popular novice triathlons. These have been a launchpad for a number of island games athletes including Megan Chapple, Chantal Green, Chloe Truffit, Hannah Kennedy, David Moseley, Chris Norman, Ethan Woodhead and many more.
“Amy gives a huge amount of time and energy to her sport. Her dedication, leadership and inspiring attitude make her the perfect person to lead out this year’s Guernsey team at the Island Games in Orkney.”