Elite Athlete Support Programme
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Medway's premier young sports men and women are supported through the Elite Athlete Support Programme as they strive to achieve their London 2012 ambitions. |
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Medway Council and the University of Kent at Medway assist the cream of Medway's athletes with access to facilities, sports science and therapy support and financial backing to give young elite sportsmen and women in Medway the best possible chance of challenging for gold at London 2012.
The programme gives each athlete free unlimited access to all Medway Leisure sports centres at peak and off-peak times.
The University of Kent at Medway's Centre for Sports Studies (www.kent.ac.uk/sports-studies) provides each athlete on the programme with sports science support comprising:
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Each athlete is also entitled to a further £300 of sports science support and beyond that is able to benefit from discounted rates for services including, massage and fitness testing.
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Each athlete on the programme can also claim up to £250 towards the cost of competing at national championships, attending national training camps or international events. Jeff Brown, Director of Operations at the University of Kent at Medway, said: "Medway has some wonderfully talented young athletes and the University of Kent at Medway is proud to offer its extensive sports science and therapy expertise to help them reach their goals." |
Cllr Howard Doe, Medway Council's Portfolio Holder for Community Services, added: "We are delighted to be working with the university to deliver this package of support to Medway's young stars. It demonstrates how the whole community is coming together to help local athletes reach the pinnacle of their sport and get Medway to the top of the medal rostrum at London 2012."
To qualify for Medway 2012's Elite Athlete Support Programme, an athlete must:
live in Medway;
be over 16 years old;
be under 30 years old;
be in the Great Britain or national squad for their age group or be a senior GB international;
have represented Great Britain, England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland in the last 12 months;
have a top 10 national ranking (where appropriate to their sport);
not be paid to compete in their chosen sport;
compete in an Olympic, Commonwealth or major world sport.
Cases where athletes do not fulfil these criteria will be examined individually for mitigating circumstances which might allow them to be included.
Athletes who have benefited from the programme in its preliminary year include gymnast Victoria Loftus, who won a gold medal at the Special Olympics in Shanghai in the autumn; James Lewis, who became British Schools Judo Champion in March, 400m hurdler Michael Baker, who was GB team captain at the World Youth Games and Rachael Burford, part of the England women’s rugby team which celebrated its third Grand Slam in a row this year.
If you know of an athlete who would meet the criteria who is not already on the Elite Athlete Support Programme, please phone Mike Evans on 01634 338135 or email mike.evans@medway.gov.uk.