Elite athletes than ever before from across Rushcliffe have been awarded grant funding to support their efforts in their chosen sport, helping them to reach for their future national and Olympic goals thanks to the Borough Council’s Elite Sports Grant.
25 athletes from across 11 different sports are now benefitting from the vital funds to help with costs such as travel, training, accommodation, competition fees and equipment.
Athletes include Katie Reid, a GB British Canoeing athlete who is currently the Senior National Champion in C1 200m and C1 500m and training for the 2022 World Championships which are taking place in Canada in August.
In 2021 she qualified to the Tokyo Olympic Games where she achieved a quarter final result and in September, she competed for GB at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships and will also be amongst those benefitting from the funding.
Katie said: “’I feel very thankful for the support given to me by Rushcliffe Borough Council and the Elite Sports Grant.
“The funding will help with my training and competition expenses as I progress on my journey towards qualifications for 2024 Olympic Games.”
Meanwhile, Lizzy Edge from West Bridgford is a member of the England Next Generation Triathlon Programme and was selected to represent Great Britain at the 2021 European and World Junior Championships.
In 2022 she will take part in a number of European Cup races to gain further international experience as well attend several international training camps, assisted by the grant.
The grants can also be used for specialist coaching and other professional support deemed appropriate by the National Governing Body over the next year.
A full list including information about each athlete is available at www.rushcliffe.gov.uk/eliteathletes.
Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Communities and Climate Change Abby Brennan said: “We are delighted to award these athletes with funding that can help towards managing the costs of competing and training at such a high level.
“We take pride in having great sport in Rushcliffe and it’s fantastic that we can offer support to these athletes with their future sporting aspirations.
“Competing at an advanced level in sport can create a financial burden for athletes that can often be a barrier to further achievements and we want to help wherever we can.
“We also recognise that COVID-19 has caused many challenges for sport, with many international and domestic competitions being cancelled or postponed and we wish all 25 grant recipients well as they compete in the coming 12 months.”
Picture: L-R: George Cummings, Julia Kang, Will Oakes, Phoebe Simon, Solomon Okrafo-Smart, Ben Squire, Jonathan Young, Cllr Abby Brennan, Katie Reid, Sam Dean, Oliver Simon, Nick Boreham and Ellis Pearce.
