Eleven local athletes awarded grants towards travel costs

Eleven local athletes have been awarded with a special grant supported by Orkney Islands Council, sportscotland and Stagecoach to help sportspeople across the Highlands and Islands access competition and training opportunities.

The Athlete Travel Award Scheme, now in its fifth year after a pause due to COVID-19, is a partnership between sportscotland and the participating local authorities in Scotland - Orkney Islands, Western Isles, Shetland Islands and Highland Councils.

The scheme helps ‘elite pathway’ athletes – athletes with potential to reach elite levels of competition and performance - from the Highlands and Islands regional areas gain better access to competition and training opportunities without having to relocate from their communities.

Stagecoach has, once again, generously offered to boost the grant scheme by £4,500 meaning support has been extended to even more athletes.

The athletes from Orkney, who will each receive up to £1,500 towards costs of travel between now and March 2023, are:

• Max Linklater – Athletics
• Angus Robertson -  Weightlifting
• Taylah Spence – Athletics
• Ross Sinclair – Weightlifting
• Kelly Skea – Weightlifting
• Rebecca Reid – Badminton
• Shannon Leslie – Badminton
• Jamie Sutherland – Athletics
• Fraser Burton – Swimming
• Finlay Scott – Squash
• Hope Henderson – Climbing

Garry Burton, OIC Leisure and Culture Service Manager, said: “The number of athletes from Orkney who are performing at a regional, national and international standard continues to grow, and as a result the number of applications for support from the ATAS award has increased significantly over the last five years.

“The easing of COVID-19 restrictions has enabled a full return to sport and the next three years leading up to the 2025 International Island Games will be a very exciting time for Orkney sport.”

David Beaton, Managing Director of Stagecoach Highlands, said: "At Stagecoach, it's really important that we help people connect with opportunities, and we're therefore proud to be supporting this local scheme once again this year. We know how much support like this can help local elite athletes progress towards their goals, and we look forward to hearing about their development."

Stewart Harris, Chief Executive, sportscotland, said: “As the national agency for sport, we want to deliver a sporting system that is inclusive and that means recognising the need for tailor-made solutions where there are specific challenges, such as those faced by athletes from the islands.

 “By working in partnership with Orkney Islands Council, services can be delivered locally through the sportscotland institute of sport, with additional financial support through the Athlete Travel Award Scheme (ATAS). We know from experience that this can have a real impact, allowing athletes the flexibility to follow the best training and competition plan that will allow them to progress in their chosen sport.”

Weightlifter Ross Sinclair said: “The ATAS grant will allow me to compete at higher level competitions where I will gain more experience to reach higher levels in my sporting career. As part of the Junior and u23 Scotland squad I have to travel down every few months for training sessions and the grant allows me to attend all of these sessions where I can train under the eye of experienced Commonwealth and Team GB coaches.”

Applications for the 2023/24 award will open in January 2023. More details on how to apply to follow.